Looking back on Eating Disorder Awareness Week, the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) was a bustling campus. Adding to this busy feeling, the team at UBCO made efforts in several ways to promote the awareness of eating disorders throughout the campus and valley.

On campus, information booths were held in the afternoon throughout the week. The booths provided information and pamphlets concerning the illnesses and what resources were available. With that, UBCO also promoted the Post Your Change campaign created by Claire Sieffert, a student at Simon Fraser University. This allowed students to post issues surrounding eating disorder prevention and treatment to government officials. Purple bracelets were handed out and the campus was encouraged to wear purple. PUMPS, the eating disorder support program unique to UBCO’s campus, was publicized to students. UBCO’s school paper, The Phoenix, published an article to help spread the word about these illnesses to the larger campus body.

All in all, Eating Disorder Awareness Week at UBCO helped raise awareness, provide information and resources for eating disorders both on and off campus for students and staff alike.

Danika Quesnel is a Kinesiologist in her second year of graduate school at UBCO. Her research focus and passion involves the role of exercise, exercise prescription and excessive exercise in eating disorder and health populations.

Photo Credit: Melissa Stein