By snoadmin
Healthy eating habits and promoting a good self-image were the heart of the message “Be Comfortable in Your Genes” for Eating Disorders Awareness Day Thursday.
Three workshops and an informational booth were set up by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) in conjunction with Psi Chi, a national honor society for students in psychology, and the Psychology Students Association (PSA).
Along with spreading information on eating disorders around campus, the event centered around nutrition and positive attitudes toward food. With workshops like “A Mindful Approach to Eating: How to Enjoy Food in a Conscious Way” and “Eating Well for Life,” the message was simple: Reach out to help all students, not just those who are diagnosed with eating disorders.
Psychologist Judy Prince of CAPS felt that the workshops – especially the nutrition workshop – were also for the “non-eating disorder population,” and that widespread awareness of healthy eating practices was an important goal. In addition to spreading knowledge about health and well-being, “We want to make the students aware of Counseling and Psychological Services as an on-campus resource,” Prince said.
As part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, the event began with an informational booth in the Psychology Quad. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., student volunteers from Psi Chi and PSA worked the CAPS resource table, handing out fliers and spreading the word about the workshops.
The booth had handouts on multiple topics, including the specific eating disorders, how to recognize and prevent disorders, advice on having a positive body image, mindful eating tips and even information geared specifically to males and eating disorders.
Earlier in the day, few people approached the table.
“Many students might not want to stop by,” said volunteer Julie Sanchez, a member of Psi Chi and PSA. “That’s why we have volunteers going [to the workshops] -to bring more people in and to help them feel more comfortable.”
The first workshop was a video, shown in the University Student Union, called “When Food Becomes Obsession,” and was followed by a discussion. Although the turnout for the screening was small, according to Prince, they anticipated more people for the afternoon workshops.
Guest speaker Rebekah Smart led the “Mindful Eating” workshop at 1 p.m. She described the difference between unconscious eating and mindful eating. Unconscious eating – chowing down on a bagel as you run out the door or trying to eat a sandwich with one hand with a coffee in the other and a project held under your arm – is something many students can relate to, and this can often lead to being unsatisfied with food, Smart said.
Packed schedules are a major factor associated with unconscious eating. One student explained that things like work often cut into what little time they have by always asking to work a couple more hours. With students’ schedules getting more and more busy, food often just becomes something to do and cross off the list instead of being enjoyed.
Food must be enjoyed with all the senses, Smart said, in order for it to be satisfying.
She demonstrated this idea by passing out chocolates to the group, who then were told to set it aside. Smart led a short meditation and then let the group explore its candies, looking at it in the wrapper and sniffing the chocolate. When the group was finally told to eat the candy, they could not chew it, but were told to let it sit while they took note of its texture, smell and taste. The idea of paying attention to the food while eating it makes the experience more pleasing, Smart said.
“How we think of food can also infuse into the rest of our life,” she said.
The final event at Los Cerritos Lounge was a nutrition workshop for all students. Hosted by Sarah Hewitt, a registered dietician, the workshop focused on general nutrition and learning to have good eating habits.
This is the third consecutive year that CAPS has planned events for Eating Disorders Awareness Day, Prince said.
