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KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 19, 2026 \u2013\u00a0With National Eating Disorders Awareness Week on the horizon, the University of Rhode Island\u2019s Campus Recreation and Health Services teams are launching programming to ensure students are aware of the supports available to those who are struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week takes place Feb. 23 to March 1 and coincides with Campus Recreation\u2019s Inside Out Week, an initiative launched more than a decade ago to encourage people to \u201cfocus on how they feel on the inside rather than how they feel on the outside,\u201d according to coordinator of fitness, health, and well-being Denise Robbin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of Inside Out Week, the Campus Recreation staff covers the mirrors in their group exercise studios at the Anna Fascitelli Fitness & Wellness Center with paper, a practice that reduces self-criticism, body image anxiety, and distractions, fostering a more mindful, positive, and \u201cbody-neutral\u201d workout experience. Instructors and participants are encouraged to write messages on the paper to inspire themselves \u2013 or others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe prompt is, \u2018What is not reflected in the mirror?\u2019\u201d Robbin said. \u201cThe messages vary from, \u2018I\u2019m strong\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m capable\u2019 to \u2018I got here on time\u2019 \u2013 whatever it may be. There are so many levels to it, and it really hits home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very therapeutic,\u201d said program assistant Katie Tenebruso, a certified personal trainer and senior double major in business administration and kinesiology. \u201cSometimes what they write might be something they don\u2019t want to say out loud, or maybe they don\u2019t have someone to say it to. Being able to write it on a mirror and get it off their chest that way is a nice release for them, and they may feel a little more supported if they go up to the mirror and see someone else already something they were feeling. It gives them the sense of, \u2018I\u2019m not alone.\u2019 That may be what encourages them to get the help they need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is a national campaign to raise awareness about eating disorders, challenge stigma, and provide hope and support to all those impacted. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), eating disorders affect 30 million Americans and typically begin among men and women between the ages of 18 and 21. The NEDA also estimates that between 10 to 20% of women and up to 10% of men in college suffer from an eating disorder with rates continuing to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to covering the mirrors in Anna Fascitelli, Health Services is teaming with other departments on campus to offer a series of nutrition empowerment events during Inside Out Week. On Feb. 23, students can take a dining hall tour with Karen Orabona, URI\u2019s dining nutrition specialist, to explore meal options; attend a nutrition empowerment talk led by nutrition specialist Kelli Kidd; and sit in on a dining hall Q&A with chef manager Benjamin Blodgett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amanda Tierney, the director of clinical operations at be Collaborative Care and an expert on intensive eating disorder treatment, is hosting an interactive nourish and movement session Feb. 24 in the Memorial Union and students can also enjoy free \u201cSmoothies for Power & Strength\u201d on Feb. 26 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Anna Fascitelli \u2013 a revival of a popular on-campus \u201cThirsty Thursday\u201d event, according to Robbin \u2013 or make their own overnight oats on Feb. 27 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Department of Nutrition\u2019s Big Data and Eating Decisions lab at Fogarty Hall. Virtual and on-demand programming is also available for students throughout the week with sessions on mindful eating, dispelling eating disorder myths, and body image and representatives from the Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, which has a branch in Boston, will be at the Union on Feb. 25 to share information and resources on nutrition empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is an opportunity for Health Services, Health Promotion, Campus Recreation, the Counseling Center, and others to work together to remind students of the resources available on campus and help connect them to resources within the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n