College Students: Have an Impact on Campus!

Many eating disorders begin during college, when for some, the pressures of college life can exacerbate or contribute to the onset of an eating disorder. It’s more important than ever to raise awareness about the dangers of these illnesses on campus, and the resources available to students affected.

The following are fun ideas for college students. We encourage you to share NEDA brochures, Helpline cards, eating disorder fact flyers and a campus resources list to your school's health offices, students services, and campus unions. 

Host a Screening Event: NEDA now offers an easy-to-use online screening tool, in partnership with Screening for Mental Health Inc., perfect for holding an eaing disorder screening event in schools, universities, hospitals, community centers, or anywhere internet access is available! Use the Planning Guide for Eating Disorder Screening Events to get started!

Blogging Guide: Check out our blogging guide with tips on how to get started, stats on eating disorders, how to share your story responsibly and setting boundaries for self-care.

Build A Life-Size Barbie: A great attention-getter for raising awareness about unrealistic body image ideals and standards of beauty.

Great Jeans Giveaway: A signature event of NEDAwareness Week. People are invited to donate their old jeans that no longer fit to promote embracing one's natural shape and size, and the message, "Be comfortable in your genes. Wear jeans that fit the real you!"

Host a Movie Night: Download this list of suggested movies and discussion guide. Hosting a film screening is a great way to start conversations about body image and eating disorder issues.

Host a "Someday Melissa" Screening: NEDA Network Member Someday Melissa, documentary is a powerful tool to use for raising awareness of eating disorders and enable a dialog to help reach your community. It provides a platform to discuss education, treatment and prevention of eating disorders. Visit www.somedaymelissa.org/screening to view the trailer and to purchase your own Screening Toolkit for your event.