The Pat Walker Health Center recognized National Eating Disorder Awareness Week on Thursday, Feb. 26, with the "You Are Enough" event in the Student Union Connections Lounge.

The Eating Disorder Team at the Pat Walker Health Center organized the event. This multidisciplinary team was created to treat U of A students who are affected by an eating disorder. They passed out flowers to visitors in the union with the message, "Good enough. Strong enough. Pretty enough. You are enough." They also passed out water bottles with the saying and offered an art project to students and staff to draw, color or craft their own tree as part of the Love Your Tree campaign.

The Love Your Tree campaign began in 2008 when art therapist Julia Andersen used tree art to create crucial and beautiful messages about loving one's body. Andersen found inspiration from author and playwright Eve Ensler who, in her play The Good Body, created this message to urge individuals to stop hating their bodies and encouraging those to challenge society's definition of beauty. In one scene, Eve visits with a wise Masai woman in Kenya who is perplexed by Eve's own dissatisfaction with her body. As she looks at the African landscape she says to Eve:

"Eve, look at that tree? Do you see that tree? Now, look at that tree (pointing to another one). Do you like that tree? Do you hate that tree 'cause it doesn't look like that tree? Do you say that tree isn't pretty cause it doesn't look like that tree? We're all trees. You're a tree. I'm a tree. You've got to love your body, Eve. You've got to ltove your tree." (excerpt from The Good Body, 2004 by Eve Ensler).

 

To see more photos from the event, visit the Pat Walker Health Center's Facebook page at facebook.com/UofAhealth.

The team highlighted the resources available through the Pat Walker Health Center for students who may be suffering from an eating disorder. Counseling and Psychological Services was also represented to let students know about the mental health services available on campus.

The team would like to encourage anyone on campus who may have an eating disorder or have concerns about a friend or colleague to reach out to the health center for help by calling 479-575-4451. 

About the Eating Disorder Team at Pat Walker Health Center: The Eating Disorder Team is composed of Pat Walker Health Center staff, including a medical physician who is the team director, a psychiatrist, a mental health clinician, a registered dietitian, a Women's Health nurse practitioner and a wellness and health promotion staff member.

The care provided includes medical assessment, monitoring and treatment, individual therapy and nutritional services. All aspects of treatment function collaboratively to best support the students in reaching the ultimate goals of recovery from the eating disorder and achievement of a successful university education. The mission of the team is to support and treat students with eating disorders who meet medical and psychological criteria for treatment in an outpatient setting. Students who feel they may benefit from the services of the team can call the primary care clinic at 479-575-4451 to make an appointment.