The Cal State Long Beach campus organization HeadSTRONG will host free events this week, National Eating Disorder Week, to get students informed about self-esteem and eating disorders.
HeadSTRONG, along with many community and campus organizations, such as Frog’s Fitness, Active Minds and Counseling and Psychological Services, is using the week — Feb. 22 to 25 — to inform students about ways to live a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally, said Katie Gaston, vice president of HeadSTRONG.
“As college students, we sometimes focus on school so much that we forget about ourselves,” Gaston said.
HeadSTRONG began last semester at CSULB to support those struggling with eating disorders. Now, the group is raising awareness on positive self esteem, depression and abuse, as well.
Four out of 10 Americans have either suffered from an eating disorder or known someone who has, according to statics given by HeadSTRONG.
“The issues relate to everybody because if you don’t know someone now, you will know someone later,” said Alexis Brooks, director of public relations for HeadSTRONG.
“We are also trying to promote being ‘conscious while eating,'” Brooks said, explaining that a lot of people do not think about the food they are putting into their mouths.
According to HeadSTRONG, an estimated 10 million females and one million males in America battle an eating disorder.
“There is so much pressure in college that it is just so much more important to remember to just be you,” Gaston said.
The week will start by hanging jeans with positive sayings at the Friendship Walk on Monday, Gaston said. It will also include guest speaker and activist Patrick Bergstrom, a screening of documentary film “Beauty Mark: Body Image and the Race for Perfection” and a smashing of scales.
“I am super excited to see people take a swing at the scales,” Gaston said.
HeadSTRONG is planning on making its awareness week an annual event.