The Week in Review...

As National Eating Disorders Awareness Week draws to a close (well, it's actually over as of yesterday- haha), I wanted to share a few quick highlights from went on in Raleigh this week. There were several events open to the public (if interested in seeing what they were, follow this link) and overall, they were pretty well attended! Ellen Morrison, a local dietician specializing in eating disorders, gave a talk on Tuesday night, in conjunction with a brave and strong recovered patient. Together they discussed what to do if you suspect a friend or loved one is struggling with an eating disorder. It was such a great presentation, and people had opportunities to ask questions and share. It was a great night. If you are interested in the information that was presented that night, shoot me an email or let me know in the comments section of my blog and I can get that for you!


On Thursday night, the documentary Beauty Mark was shown in Jones Chapel at Meredith College. I had not seen it before, and I highly recommend it. Diane Israel documents her journey of recovery from an eating disorder, as well as the media's influence on how we define beauty in our culture. Take a look at a clip below!


 


The last event of the week was a fashion/art show that honored women of all sizes and shapes. It was really a beautiful night. If I'm being totally honest, I was a little hesitant about the whole idea of having a fashion show, just because the fashion industry is SOO loaded when it comes to beauty/eating disorders/etc. While I understood the intention, and I knew that the models had been nominated for this event based on qualities of inner beauty, I still felt like a fashion show might send the wrong message. But I was SO wrong. It was actually such a powerful experience to see such a diverse group of young women modeling (cute clothes I might add- thanks for donating the clothes for the night, Francesca's!!). We also were able to auction off some art that had been donated by eating disorder patients. Proceeds will benefit NEDA, and will be added to the donations that are have been given for the Raleigh NEDA Walk. 

If you are interested in participating, volunteering or walking in the Raleigh NEDA walk that is coming up on Sunday April 3, follow this link to register or send me an email for more info! Would love to see your smiling faces, out supporting a great cause on an April Spring day! :) And as a disclaimer, you don't have to walk on the day of the event. You can just come out and show your support! There will be different things going on- booths, a speaker, a silent auction... I can't wait! :)