Several weeks have passed since my first Speak UP session on the VCU campus, but I am still reminded of how much impact a collective group of people can have on each other. The mantra that comes to mind is, “you mean something to someone.” What that means to me is that individuals need to stay healthy and have the strength to tell their stories about binge eating. You do not have to struggle alone. Over 60% of individuals are struggling with this disorder. But people need to Speak UP!

There were over 100 individuals at the Speak UP event hosted by Active Minds on the VCU campus in late March.  From my vantage point, there was a wide range of individuals that represented the campus from student athletes to students in leadership. There were individuals who have lost their “awesome” and needed empowerment in order to reclaim it, and, of course, there were some students who were only there to get school credit! But I suspect they came away from the presentation with more information and knowledge than they bargained for.

To help start a narrative about binge eating and what happens after the binges, we talked about the case of Miranda. Miranda is the fictional student I created who faces a very real dilemma. Her top athletic bodybuilding status was her catalyst to her disordered eating.

At the end of the presentation, resources were given to link individuals with effective treatment.  I was happy to give the presentation alongside researcher Carley Lovely, and we were both very happy with the turn out.

If you weren’t able to be there, but want to find out more about binge eating disorder, view the free video from the event below, and sign up for our newsletter to receive information about upcoming presentations, classes and counseling.