I am a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon at TCNJ and ANAD is one of our three philanthropies. For those who don’t know, ANAD stands for “Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders." Eating disorders affect up to 30 million people of all ages and genders in the United States alone and are becoming worse with the rise and pressure of social media. One of my sisters, Kimberly Siehl, wrote a powerful and informative article about the problems of eating disorders and the effects they have on people everywhere, especially college students. The purpose of ANAD week, organized by Delta Phi Epsilon, is to educate and increase awareness of eating disorders, as well as raise money to help individuals suffering from them. To do this at TCNJ, we organized various events on campus throughout the week that aimed to help the cause in different ways.
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We kicked off the week with #MoreConfidenceMonday, which aims to raise college students' confidence and help them be more comfortable with their bodies and insecurities. “Trash your insecurities” allowed students to write down their self-doubts and throw them away. It was surprisingly satisfying and cathartic! We all have insecurities that haunt us and sometimes we need to just let them go. As a fellow student said, “I find it constructive to recognize the insecurities others have as it reminds you that you're not alone in that sense. Exploring your insecurities with your peers can be both terrifying and enlightening.” Later on, a talk about eating healthy on campus featuring Kaitlyn Mourer reminded us that there are healthier, more positive ways to lose weight. Eating healthy is so important in college as it is a time that our bodies are active and we need all the energy we can get!
Tuesday followed with #TreatYourselfTuesday and our sorority hosted a bake sale where all proceeds went to ANAD. This day was especially important to explain that it is OK to indulge sometimes. We are only human beings. Yes, eating healthy is important, but so is treating yourself. Cookies, brownies, and donuts all sound like guilty pleasures but that sugar helps gives us positive energy and a happy mental boost! Dark chocolate has even been shown to help prevent heart disease, improve mood, and protect skin! We had a ton of fun spreading the love around campus. After all, life is also about enjoying yourself!
#WordsOfWisdomWednesday was a day of inspiration. We wanted to remind everyone that we’re all beautiful and special in our own ways. The candlelight vigil held at night was a service to respect those who have suffered from these disorders and many students said it was the most moving event we held. A guest speaker from Timberline Knolls shared her own very personal and touching story about her struggles with eating disorders and her journey to recovery. One of our sisters also gave a personal account of how ANAD has impacted her by being the support system for another sister. The testimonies were followed by lighting candles and everyone made the pledge to love their body and help change the way others view body image. Words of wisdom are important to unite us and remind each other to always love ourselves.
On Thursday we held #TellSomeoneThursday. Many people suffering with eating disorders downplay the seriousness of the disorder and don’t tell anyone about it. This only worsens the problem. We encourage people to find the motivation to talk about their disorders. And if you have a friend who opens up to you, don’t run away or blow it off- be accepting. Encourage healthy habits and positive thinking. We used this day to do a fun event called “Pie a Deepher” where students were allowed to pie sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon for three dollars. This money was used for ANAD and the event also helped spread positivity on campus!
We closed out the week with #FitnessFriday. Dphie hosted a workout class and we invited other organizations to participate in staying active in order to be healthy! Fitness is such a great way to keep healthy and build up our moods. As Dphie sister Chloe said, “It's important to balance working out and those times you find yourself eating not so great." Fitness combined with making better food choices is an effective way to tone up and build a positive body image, inside and out.
“I believe that throughout all of our events held this week, we successfully touched each and every person on this campus in some way.”
-Samantha Hagel, Dphie ANAD co-chair
“ANAD week has made students more aware of the prevalence of eating disorders and how important it is to maintain a positive body image. Our events helped to promote healthy living, self-love, and being confident in the skin you're in.”
-Meg Connolly, Dphie Vice President of Programming
“I think that with college comes a lot of stress and pressure to act and look perfect and ANAD Week is a great reassurance of the fact that confidence comes from within and loving your body, and being comfortable with yourself is more important than looking good for other people. Eating that extra cookie won't kill you!”
-Chloe Strippoli, Dphie Social Media chair
"ANAD week made me realize that it takes more than just words to help eating disorders, it takes actions. We have to consciously stop body shaming to implement positive body image."
-Kristen Adames, Dphie ANAD Vigil Speaker
Thank you to everyone who came to support our ANAD week, and remember to always love yourself and your insecurities. We are only humans and we all have our imperfections, but by loving and accepting ourselves, we can change our outlooks and become our best selves.
