Do not be alarmed if you are in Cleveland next week and see over 50 women smashing scales with sledge hammers, bowling balls and baseball bats in the middle of a field.† The ìscale smashing” is the kickoff to a series of events open to the public hosted by The Eating Disorder Advocates of Ohio for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
ìStudies show that as many as 10 million females and one million males in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder,” Michelle Togliatti, co-founder of EDAO said. ìEDAO and the community need to raise awareness, provide resources and improve education to help fight this epidemic.”
EDAO is a charitable organization formed to provide assistance to individuals and families dealing with eating disorders throughout the state of Ohio. Its primary purpose is to educate and create community awareness of eating disorders, while striving to eliminate insurance discrimination for treatment. EDAO is the only organization of its kind in the state of Ohio, receiving calls daily throughout the state about the treatment options for adults and children who are affected by eating disorders.
Every year the EDAO volunteers look for new ways to raise awareness. According to Togliatti, the most exciting event planned for NEDAW will be the screening of the live documentary that has been in development since April 2009, titled, ìBehind the Mask of Perception,” which will be used to raise awareness and education in schools.
The various organizations involved with NEDAW will be hosting a variety of free seminars throughout Northeast Ohio, including, ìWhat to Say to Students about Eating Disordersó a talk for educators, professionals and parents” in Westlake, ìA Day of Breaking Barriers Ö Getting Real about Eating Disorders on a College Campus” in Akron and† ìIdentifying and Treating Eating Disorders in the Primary Care Setting ó a Talk for Professionals, Families and Patients” in Beachwood.
The week will conclude with an exclusive showing of, ìThe Mask of Perception:† Real People Ö Real StoriesÖReal Recovery Ö Dare to look behind the mask of an eating disorder into a world where Perception becomes Reality” in Akron.
In addition to these seminars and screenings the EDAO is asking residents of Northeast Ohio to ìget real” and donate any jeans that no longer fit to the various bin locations throughout the region. All jeans will be donated to The Battered Womenís Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties.
The College is also joining in with efforts to spread awareness about eating disorders during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
One way students can find out information is to look for posts in The Pot from the campus organization Students Helping Students. Amelia Burris í11, a member of the group, talked about its positive influence. ìThe members of Students Helping Students are trained to counsel fellow Wooster students in all aspects of physical and mental health, including eating disorders.† While we do not have all the answers, we are here to listen and know of professionals who can help.”