Nor Osborne, Special to The Denisonian—
It’s officially “Naked Week” on campus, the week where students strip and streak across the quad.
The event aligns with NEDA’s (National Eating Disorders Association) awareness week, celebrating body positivity and honoring those struggling with eating disorders. Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying that a huge display of awareness is being made. But how much of this awareness is being carried into everyday life at Denison? More specifically, how are we acknowledging students with eating disorders in the dining halls?
Dining halls can be intimidating spaces for those grappling with eating disorders. Many individuals with eating disorders struggle with an intense fear of food, often latching onto items they consider to be “safe foods.” Safe foods are foods someone can safely eat without triggering anxiety and guilt among other side effects. The choice of safe food can vary widely from person to person, but are often lower in calories, fat, or other elements that may be a source of distress for the person.
However, Denison’s dining halls fall short in providing a reassuring environment. With a lack of options and consistency and quality, safe foods are impossible to find. For someone trying to develop a healthy relationship with eating, food that’s often greasy and uncooked isn’t the answer. Beyond the actual food, the public aspect of the dining halls proves to be incredibly difficult. With the open layout of Curtis and Huffman, those with eating disorders feel exposed and judged. The restricted hours and random closing of the dining halls don’t help either, making access to food unreliable.
Most of these issues could be avoided by opting to use ‘Flex dollars’ or a meal exchange at Slayter or Slivy’s instead, but where does that leave first-years? With only $100 in ‘Flex dollars’ a semester and meal exchanges only available from 8-10 p.m., first-years are completely reliant on the dining halls. Of course students could purchase their own food to eat, but for many students that’s not a possibility when they’re already paying a flat rate of $7,700 for their meal plan.
As a first year grappling with an eating disorder, I’ve personally experienced the overwhelming anxiety that comes with navigating the freshman meal plan. I know I’m not alone in this struggle. NEDA reports that approximately 30 million Americans live with eating disorders, a majority of which typically formed between the ages of 18 and 21. NEDA also reports that 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder. That’s 1 death every 52 minutes. Not only are eating disorders relevant, they’re fatal. Denison is not immune to these statistics.
I encourage you this week, whether or not you choose to run, to take a minute and reflect on what exactly Naked Week stands for. It’s not enough to just be aware, action needs to be taken. We’re incredibly fortunate for all of the resources we do have on campus. The counseling services and body positive programming available at the Hoaglin Center are great steps in the right direction, but these strengths don’t mean we still don’t have a ways to go. With administration reevaluating the dining services, an opportunity for change is available. I urge you to make your voices heard as new decisions are being made. Please carry your support for students with eating disorders past Naked Week.