Eating concerns group promotes healthy habits

By Lauren McGlone
Collegian Reporter
October 4, 2006

Walk into just about any restroom on La Salle’s campus and you may be presented with a paper taped to the mirror or stall door. The paper asks several questions: Do you obsess about your weight and/or food? Do you measure self-worth according to the size of your jeans? If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, the Eating Concerns Group is the place to discuss these issues.

The Eating Concerns Group meets in order to support students who struggle with weight and dietary issues. One goal of the group is to create a comfort zone for those who find it difficult to concentrate on anything besides food and diet. The support group was founded in order to help individuals adjust to college stress, reduce the struggle with weight and diets and focus on improving the academic and social aspects of life.

Dr. Dana Udall-Weiner, a counseling psychologist at La Salle, hopes to provide support for students via the Eating Concerns Group.

“It was shown that this group really benefited women as they struggled with their weight and the obsession with food,” she said. “I hope to continue this support here at La Salle.”

Weight and dietary issues can cause and influence behavioral, emotional, psychological, social and physical stressors. The Eating Concerns Group targets these potential problems and seeks to provide healthy advice and support from both Udall-Weiner and those who attend the group meetings.

Although some students may initially worry about people in the group spilling their secrets to others, Udall-Weiner stresses the importance of confidentiality.

“We have received several contacts concerning the group, and we are still looking for new members,” she said. “The privacy of each and every member of this group will be maintained, hopefully alleviating the embarrassment or confidentiality concerns that may prevent students from joining.”

The Eating Concerns Group is dedicated to reaching out to individuals who are searching for guidance and direction in their dietary ways. Support and discussion about the issues at hand have proven to positively affect women who have already taken advantage of counseling, according to Udall-Weiner.

Fliers have been posted in campus public restrooms and have been made available for access through Resident Assistants (RAs), Peer Educators and the Athletic Department. Visit any one of these locations to receive contact information and determine if the Eating Concerns Group is the place for you to seek help with dietary or food-obsession problems. This may also be the opportunity to help a friend who may benefit from this support group.

For more information about the Eating Concerns Group, contact Udall-Weiner at the Counseling Center, x1355.

“The University defaced our organization in terms of public relations before any hearings of any sort, which is unfair,” he said.

mcglonel1@lasalle.edu