Spring Break
Courageous student opens up
CHRISTIE PATTERSON For The Red & Black
Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
For most University students, the thought of revealing one of their deepest struggles to a lecture hall full of strangers would be out of the question.
But sophomore MeriBeth Davis has opted to put her nervousness aside to speak to students about her past eating disorder to raise awareness at the University.
Davis began volunteering with the Health Promotion department of the University Health Center last year after Alice Bender, the health center's Nutrition Services Coordinator, spoke in one of her classes about eating disorders. She began going with Bender to lectures, sorority houses, group counseling sessions amd other events, sharing her story to give a personal point of view.
Davis said her anorexia began when she was in seventh grade and lasted for about three years. She said besides therapy and her Christian faith, one of the major things that helped her understand and eventually beat her disorder was talking to other girls who had struggled with their body image.
This inspired her to help other University students who had eating disorders by giving them a peer with whom they could relate.
"It's hard for people to understand an eating disorder," she said. "But it's affecting so many people on the campus."
Davis believes the higher proportion of women on campus and the desire to lose the "freshman 15" are both contributing factors, along with larger-scale societal issues such as how women are portrayed in the media.
"There's so much talk about obesity, obesity, obesity, and people forget about what we see on T.V.," she said.
The Health Center conducts a survey for different health issues on campus every two years.
In 2005, 70 percent of female students reported dieting within the past 30 days of taking the survey, even though only 22 percent of women at the University are actually considered overweight.
Davis encourages students who are concerned about having an eating disorder or concerned about a friend to visit the Health Center. She also suggests attending some of the events hosted by the organization For Loving Yourself.
FLY has named February "Every Body Get Up! Month," and will host a series of events designed to promote healthy body image and eating disorder awareness.
But sophomore MeriBeth Davis has opted to put her nervousness aside to speak to students about her past eating disorder to raise awareness at the University.
Davis began volunteering with the Health Promotion department of the University Health Center last year after Alice Bender, the health center's Nutrition Services Coordinator, spoke in one of her classes about eating disorders. She began going with Bender to lectures, sorority houses, group counseling sessions amd other events, sharing her story to give a personal point of view.
Davis said her anorexia began when she was in seventh grade and lasted for about three years. She said besides therapy and her Christian faith, one of the major things that helped her understand and eventually beat her disorder was talking to other girls who had struggled with their body image.
This inspired her to help other University students who had eating disorders by giving them a peer with whom they could relate.
"It's hard for people to understand an eating disorder," she said. "But it's affecting so many people on the campus."
Davis believes the higher proportion of women on campus and the desire to lose the "freshman 15" are both contributing factors, along with larger-scale societal issues such as how women are portrayed in the media.
"There's so much talk about obesity, obesity, obesity, and people forget about what we see on T.V.," she said.
The Health Center conducts a survey for different health issues on campus every two years.
In 2005, 70 percent of female students reported dieting within the past 30 days of taking the survey, even though only 22 percent of women at the University are actually considered overweight.
Davis encourages students who are concerned about having an eating disorder or concerned about a friend to visit the Health Center. She also suggests attending some of the events hosted by the organization For Loving Yourself.
FLY has named February "Every Body Get Up! Month," and will host a series of events designed to promote healthy body image and eating disorder awareness.
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Ellene Graves
posted 2/20/07 @ 4:51 PM EST
There are many people who suffer from some type of eating disorder. I commend MeriBeth Davis for her willingness to discuss her experiences regarding this painful situation !!! It is a known fact that those of us who have a "painful secret" more readily share our circumstances with others who also have endured a similar problem. (Continued…)
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