Virginia Tech will host its annual Eating Issues and Body Image Awareness Week March 18 through 22. 

This week will consist of events that promote positive body image, encourage healthy eating and fitness habits, and educate community members about how to recognize eating and body image disorders.

According to Jon Fritsch, assistant director of health education for Schiffert Health Center, the goals of Eating Issues and Body Image Awareness week are multifaceted. 

“Events like Jessica Setnick’s keynote address redefine healthy eating and challenge media stereotypes of men and women,” he added. “Others educate the public about how to recognize disordered eating in themselves or others.”

This awareness and education are especially important on college campuses, where eating and body image disorder rates are high due to stress and social pressure. Events scheduled for Eating Issues and Body Image Awareness Week are designed to help students deal with these stressors and learn to build healthful attitudes about themselves.

All events are free and open to Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff unless otherwise noted.

Some of the week’s events include:

  • Dying to be Barbie – All week in the McComas Hall Health Education Lobby. This educational display also includes a chance to win raffle prizes. Stop by any time during the week to enter the raffle and pick up information for yourself or for a friend.
  • Ladies’ Night in the Weight Room – Tuesday, March 19, from 5-7 p.m. in the McComas Weight Training Room. This event provides a relaxed, welcoming environment in which female students and staff can learn how to use weight machines and incorporate weight training into their workouts. Female personal trainers will assist women who want to learn how to use weight room equipment. This event is open to all women who have access to McComas.
  • Making Food Your Friend Again – Wednesday, March 20, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Burruss Hall Auditorium. This keynote address will be given by Jessica Setnick, founder of Eating Disorders Boot Camp and author of The Eating Disorders Clinical Pocket Guide. Setnick will help students learn to navigate conflicting nutrition information, differentiate between hunger and stress, and discover how to become less vulnerable to adverse marketing messages about nutrition.

For a full, detailed listing of events, visit Schiffert Health Center’s events page.

The events presented during Eating Issues and Body Image Awareness Week are sponsored by Schiffert Health Center, the Health Education Office, Cook Counseling Center, Recreational Sports, the Women’s Center, Panhellenic Council, Fitness and Nutrition Club, Student Nutrition and Dietetics Association, the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, and the Division of Student Affairs.

 

 

Written by Kimberly Bassler.
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