Counseling center collects orphaned socks for eating disorder awareness month

Janet Rodriguez, Staff Writer

Fatigue, dizziness or fainting, brittle nails, hair thinning, breaking, or falling out, emaciated appearance with protruding bones or a sunken appearance to the face.

These are all symptoms of people suffering from some sort of eating disorder according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA.)

Those affected by eating disorders may also experience signs such as episodes of binge and purge eating that involve a lack of control over food intake.

They may also excessively limit calories or use other weight loss methods, such as excessive exercise, laxatives or diet aids or vomit after eating.

In recognition to NEDA, the WSC counseling center has a nutritionist that comes once a week.

Lin Brummels, counseling center director, started an eating disorder awareness campaign, “sock it to eating disorders.”

“I am asking people to donate orphan socks,” said campaign director, Brummels. “If you got one good one left and one worn out, bring in your extra.”

This week is the national awareness week in February for eating disorders.

Flyers started to go up at the beginning of the month asking for that extra colorful orphan sock that “will tell the story with pizazz” on a display Brummels is working on.

One basket is located in the counseling center office, and the other is located in the information desk at the atrium, both located in the student center.

There’s still time to take your socks in today, because “what do you do with an extra sock?” asked Brummels.

All socks will be used tomorrow, for the eating disorder awareness display, accompanied by other essential information on eating disorders and NEDA.

With 20 million women and 10 million men suffering from eating disorders in the U.S., NEDA has made it their mission to support individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serve as a catalyst for prevention, cure and access the quality of care.

They envision a world without eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and others.

Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that affect someone’s emotional and physical health.

For further information, or if you are seeking help, contact the WSC counseling center at 402-375-7321 or NEDA at 800-931-2237