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The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Eating disorders are focus of movie premiering at UA

” As a part of National Eating Disorders week, the University of Akron will be playing host to a movie premiere. At 5 p.m. on Saturday, UA will host a screening of the documentary America the Beautiful produced by Darryl Roberts to end the week of awareness.”

As a part of National Eating Disorders week, the University of Akron will be playing host to a movie premiere.

At 5 p.m. on Saturday, UA will host a screening of the documentary America the Beautiful produced by Darryl Roberts to end the week of awareness.

Co-Founder and Chair of Eating Disorder Advocates of Ohio, Michelle Togliatti said that Roberts would be flying in to attend the event. He will be introducing the film as well as holding a question and answer session afterward.

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We’re really looking forward to him being here, Togiatti said. He has been such a inspiration to many people and he has touched many lives in his tour through out the country.

According to americathebeautifuldoc.com, the psyche of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, athletes like Reggie Theus, industry professionals such as Jill Ishkanian from US Weekly, Ted Casablanca from the E Channel and the American citizenry to determine the roots of this superficial obsession.

The movie falls in line with the theme of this year’s campaign, which was simply, I am real, I am not a number, I am not a brand name, I am real.

You’re so much more than a number on a scale, Togiatti said. Why do we let numbers, whether it’s a waist line or a number on a scale, determine our self worth.

She also pointed to the fact that people often compare themselves too much with other people. When in fact they shares nothing likes body structure, heritage or upbringing, which plays a significant role in a persons body structure.

That number means absolutely nothing, she said.

While the final event is being held at the University of Akron’s Gardner Theater, not all the events were held in Akron. Certain events were held in Cleveland as Togiatti said the goal for the week was simply to raise awareness in Northeast Ohio about eating disorders.

A lot of people have misconceptions about what an eating disorder is and we’re really trying to educate people and make them understand what an eating disorder is and the severity of it.

According to the eating disorder advocates of Ohio Web site, as many as 10 million females and about one million males are fighting for their lives with an eating disorder, pointing to the fact that the idea of body image is starting at an early age.

EDAO says that 42 percent of girls from first through third graders want to be thinner and 81 percent of 10 year-olds are afraid of being fat. This is compared to the 91 percent of college students surveyed who admitted that they have attempted to control their weight through dieting and 22 percent admitted that they are either often or always on a diet.

This is EDAO’s first year getting involved with National Eating Disorder week.

We have really wanted to do this in a big way, Togliatti said. We have joined forces with a lot of professionals in the area, volunteers and friends and family of people who have suffered with eating disorders.

One issue that she brought up as well was that insurance companies in Ohio are not required to cover treatment for an eating disorder.

We see a lot of families trying to help their loved one and find recovery but do not have the finical means to do it, she said.

It’s not that their insurance isn’t good, it’s that the state of Ohio does not mandate that coverage.

This is something that EDAO is working to change.

She also pointed to various eating disorders that some may not have not known were considered eating disorders including overeating and binging and purging.

I think that obesity is an issue here in the United States, she said. However, saying that people hear statistics on obesity more than those of anorexia and bulimia.

EDAO partners with another organization that deals more with the overeating where as Togliatti said that they focus more on anorexia and bulimia.

We understand that they are both eating disorders just on two different ends of the spectrum, she said.

Regardless of which end of the spectrum someone may be on, Togliatti was firm on the idea of addressing it now instead of later as later may be to late.

An eating disorder does not occur at a specific age or specific time in a person’s life, she explained. As symptoms and signs often differ in each person her best advice was to watch for abnormal behavior, saying that it often coincides with psychological disorders.

For further information students and those interested can contact Eating Disorders Advocates of Ohio at (216) 254-6460 or by their Web site, www.edadvocatesofohio.com

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