New campaign aimed at combating eating disorders

Jessica Brondo '04, the Women's Issue Liaison for the Undergraduate Life Committee, has made several proposals to University health education and women's groups to raise eating disorder awareness on campus.

According to "Focus on Women," the USG Committee on Women's Issues 2001 report, eating disorders are prevalent at the University.

"It has also been estimated that 10-25 percent of Princeton women have eating disorders, although forty percent of women surveyed believed that estimate to be too low," the report states.

In addition, the report suggests such behaviors may be a result from the especially high-pressured campus environment.

Brondo said she has three new initiatives in mind to treat individuals currently suffering from eating disorders and to prevent future cases. She hopes, in partnership with the Eating Concerns Peer Educators, to put these proposals into action soon.

Her first goal is to create workshops that will train Dillon Gymnasium employees and University athletic staff to recognize the signs of eating disorders.

Going to the gym twice a day and working out an unhealthy amount, Brondo said, are signals that someone might have an eating disorder.

In addition to these workshops, Brondo said she hopes to work with McCosh Health Center to create an online eating disorder self-evaluation form. This assessment would provide an anonymous way for individuals to find out if they might have an eating disorder.

McCosh has been extremely supportive of her proposals, Brondo said, and Susan B. Packer, Associate Director of McCosh's Counseling Center, has been working with her on the project as well.

Brondo's final goal is to create seminars on the "Freshman Fifteen," the dreaded 15 pounds that college freshman often gain. Brondo plans to establish two workshops, one each semester, with the first focused on preventing students from gaining weight and the second covering healthy ways to lose unwanted pounds.

Brondo said she began by organizing a meeting for different student health groups to discuss common concerns and take action together.

"We're looking to find creative solutions to address these serious eating disorder problems," Brondo said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

To assist Brondo and the ULC, the ECPEs hope to conduct campus-wide surveys that will determine the prevalence of eating disorders. Christina Roberto '04, an ECPE, said she believes this data will demonstrate the need for additional resources.

"If we have more counselors and nutritionists, we can do a lot more outreach programs," she said.

One specific program Roberto has in mind is an eating disorder education event during Freshman Orientation Week.

Brondo said she is passionate about women's concerns, having served previously as President of the Organization of Women's Leaders, and is dedicated to helping women stay healthy. She is also currently working towards a certificate in Women's Studies.

"I'm just immersed in women's issues on campus," Brondo said.