In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness week, Syracuse University students will be holding events about body image awareness and eating disorders.

The events will take place Feb. 24 through March 1. Students Helping Acquire, Promote and Enhance Self-Esteem at SU — an organization for raising awareness about eating disorders and body image — is hosting the events, in hopes of fostering body positivity among students. The events are co-sponsored by Active Minds, a general health group on campus.

Last year, Rachel Rifkin saw a sign in Starbucks on Marshall Street promoting an event hosted by SHAPES for NEDA week. She said she immediately wanted to be involved.

“Rachel attended the event and was first introduced to SHAPES through it, and ever since then she has been one of the most influential and hardworking members of the group,” said Stephanie Spina, co-president of SHAPES in an email.

Rifkin, a senior history major, had spent eight months in treatment for binging and purging. When Rifkin returned to SU, she said she was much more prepared for the college environment. She used tools she had learned from her treatment center to prevent relapsing. The only thing she was missing was support from other people that understood what she went through, she said.

“I went from a group where I was always with five to 10 girls to nothing. I needed to be with at least someone that understood,” she said.

Now Rifkin serves as the vice president of programming of SHAPES. This year, she played a large role in planning the events for NEDA week.

“She brings a unique element to our team because she has had first hand experience with body image issues and an eating disorder,” Spina said.

A panel discussion with therapists and survivors of eating disorders will kick-off NEDA week Monday night. There will also be a dinner and discussion at Ophelia’s Place, a treatment and support center in Liverpool.

SHAPES hopes the events will educate the campus more about body image issues.

“I think it’s great that the campus is drawing awareness and providing support to an issue that basically everyone struggles with but may be afraid to seek support for,” said Lauren Bernstein, a senior psychology major.  She said she plans to attend Monday night’s panel discussion.

SHAPES has many students who have never had an eating disorder and might not have body image issues, Spina said. Issues surrounding body image aren’t discussed enough, so she said it’s refreshing for her to see so many students come out to SHAPES meetings and events.

Meetings usually consist of discussions on how to spread awareness on campus and how to raise money for NEDA. Members also discuss how the media presents body image and share their opinions and experience about it.

Rifkin said she is working to expand the resources available for students struggling with eating disorders. There is a large interest from members to have a support group led by a professional, Spina said.

“My goal by the end of this year is to establish a support group for girls struggling that is a safer place for them specifically to go and have a more structure and guided group,” Rifkin said.

Spina and Rifkin are looking forward to talking to students during NEDA week and spreading awareness about the issues. They both believe there are a lot of students on SU’s campus who struggle with body image and eating disorders, and they hope SHAPES’ events can create a supportive environment.

Said Spina: “We are really just all about positivity and our end goal is to make people at Syracuse feel accepted and beautiful the way they are.”

Published on February 24, 2014 at 1:50 am

Contact Jocelyn: jdelaney@syr.edu