Every day, many college students struggle silently with eating disorders and body image issues. Auburn Body Image Education Eating Disorder Awareness, AubieEDA, has made it their mission to promote healthy lifestyles on college campuses.
According to Samantha Nathan, senior in nutrition dietetics, AubieEDA's overall goal is attainable.
"We're just trying to encourage people to live healthy and not focus so much on size, but on health," Nathan said.
Nathan, former ballerina, said she has a personal connection to this issue.
"When I was a dancer, I saw a lot of my friends going through eating disorders and struggling with loving their bodies and loving themselves," Nathan said. "That's actually one of the reasons I became a nutrition dietetics major, so I could help people who are having trouble losing or gaining weight."
Nathan also said AubieEDA is trying to raise awareness and show people their avenues for help.
Oct. 21-25, the organization held "Fat Talk Free Week," five days during which students were encouraged to reduce their discussion about weigh-related topics and to maintain a healthy body image.
Brittany Hitson, senior in nutrition dietetics, said she understands the importance of keeping conversations fat-talk free.
"A group feeds off each other when they are talking about bad body image," Hitson said. "It's important to say nice things about yourself and others."
Members of AubieEDA were on the concourse throughout the week, promoting the cause with a different theme every day.
Monday, the event started with students signing a pledge to stop "fat talking," which is language that makes someone feel bad about their body and self image.
Tuesday, was "I love my..." Day.
Instead of focusing on the negative, students were asked to write down something they love about themselves on a whiteboard.
On Wednesday, members of AubieEDA left uplifting notes all across campus and invited others to leave uplifting notes as well. AubieEDA encouraged students to participate through social media on Thursday, by tweeting #FTFW (Fat Talk Free Week) and posting pictures with a sign AubieEDA members created on the concourse.
There were no events planned for Friday, but students were encouraged to continue to reduce their use of fat talk and to continue striving for a positive body image.
Meg McGuffin, AubieEDA's president and junior in radio, television and film, said she was optimistic about the week's impact.
"My hope is girls on Auburn's campus will realize they are beautiful regardless of what the scale says or what the media tells us is 'beautiful,'" McGuffin said. "It took me a long time to be comfortable in my own skin, and AubieEDA's mission is to help girls on Auburn's campus do the same and learn to love themselves for who they are and not what they see in the mirror."
AubieEDA's efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle are not limited to just the week of Oct. 21.
The organization will hold "Love the Skin You're In," in Alpha Gamma Delta's chapter room, Nov. 11.
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