Vigil recognizes eating disorders

As the sun dipped behind clouds to give off a red-orange glow, participants in the candlelight vigil for awareness of eating disorders lit small, white tealight candles in pink Dixie cups to create a much smaller, man-made glow that illuminated Dunn Meadow Tuesday. But for those suffering from eating disorders, the resulting physical and mental problems are anything but small.\nThe National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders sponsored the nationwide candlelight vigil for eating disorder awareness and prevention, adopting the slogan "Accept Yourself ... Accept Others." Locally, junior Sara Kennedy organized IU's vigil. \nKennedy put together the vigil because "it's a good way for people to know this is a problem, and there is help available," she said. "Eating disorders are such a silent disease. If they can share their story, it helps them recover and get help."\nTwo IU students -- juniors Leanne Kelker and Jennifer Di Angelis, shared their personal stories with eating disorders. \n"Being a victim extinguishes our hopes," Di Angelis said. "We start to believe we're unloved and unwanted."\nShe told her story of her struggle with anorexia and compulsive overeating, which began her junior year of high school. It was at that time she turned to food "to temporarily fill the void of intimacy and love."\nDi Angelis said "food turned into an all-consuming battle," and she began to lose sight of who she was. To regain herself, she said she had to block out the media and rely on God alone."\n"God's given me an unconditional love that satisfies more than any food," she said.\nKelker also shared her personal story as a recovering bulimic and anorexic. Due to her disorder, she began losing weight, something that merited the compliments of others.\n"(Eating disorders are) like alcoholism and a drug addiction, but you don't get complimented on being drunk or being an addict," she said. \nKelker said "people with eating disorders aren't pretty," and they can become tired, depressed and have low self-esteem, along with suffering from other physical effects. According to ANAD's Web site, physical effects of anorexia and bulimia can be abnormal menstruation, hair loss, swollen salivary glands and tooth and gum erosion. \nKelker said during the time of her disorder, if she thought about food 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she believed other problems in her life would go away. She said she found her worth through God but also found support through her male friends her freshman year at IU. \n"Guys have the utmost power to tell their girlfriends and friends how wonderful they are," she said.\nKennedy also shared her story of her eating disorder struggle, saying her disease was her security blanket, her identity. \nThe vigil concluded with Kennedy and a friend reading the "Accept Yourself ... Accept Others" pledge and participants taking a moment of silence.\nFor the three IU students who shared their stories, eating disorders are all too real. This is also the case for millions of American women from all areas of society. According to ANAD, seven million U.S. women suffer from eating disorders, and 86 percent of victims said their disease came before the age of 20.\nWendi Tai, counselor at the Center for Human Growth, said it's important for eating-disorder victims to "be able to reach out and know that there is help." She said eating disorders involve a lot of intervention.\n"It's hard because you need treatment from doctors and counselors," she said.\nTai said she believes college women are most affected because of the community they are in. \n"It has a lot to do with the social norms of a campus," she said. Being thin is reinforced for college women, and what is desired is unrealistic, she said. \nThough these students have beaten their eating disorders, reminders of their past remain.\n"Everyday," Di Angelis said, "is a battle for me."\n-- Contact staff writer Laura Kruty at lkruty@indiana.edu.