Pace participated in Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Week with help from social sorority Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE) from February 22 to 26. DPhiE hosted its first ever ANAD fashion show as its big show-stopper event for the week on Thur., Feb 25 in Gottesman to educate the Pace community about eating disorders.

Eating disorders are not a matter of simply not eating or eating too much contrary to popular belief. Eating disorders can have effects on all systems in the body as the disease continues over time.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that eating disorders affect women 2 and a half times more than men. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa involve unhealthy ways of food control and weight loss including excessive exercise, misuse of laxatives, self-induced vomiting (purging), and fasting according to the NIMH eating disorder brochure.

Conversely, binge eating disorder involves weight gain by a loss of eating control without any weight loss techniques like in the two prior diseases. All eating disorders involve some form of distorted body image and self-esteem. Like many diseases, eating disorders’ effect can be detrimental when left untreated.

Pace’s Alpha Rho chapter of DPhiE partnered with the National Association of ANAD since the creation of the chapter on campus. ANAD began in 1976 with the mission to promote “the development of healthy attitudes, bodies, and behavior” according to its official website. ANAD focuses mainly on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

Co-philanthropy chairs junior Brianna Perriello and sophomore Olivia Thai headed DPhiE’s ANAD Week efforts.

Another chapter in Rhode Island inspired Perriello with its ANAD fashion show. Selena Gomez’s song “Who Says” was also an inspiration. After earning her position last semester, Perriello decided that she wanted newer and more unexpected fund and awareness raising events. She became fascinated with DPhiE’s involvement in ANAD Week along with the other benefits of going Greek when she went through formal recruitment. In addition to the fashion show, the DPhiE sisters all sported custom white shirts that read “Your body is not, wrong society is.”

For DPhiE sister and sophomore Jaqueline Thomas, ANAD week was very eye opening. The week reminded her that eating disorders are still a prevalent issue for the Pace community to tackle. Her favorite part of the week was a tie between the makeup free selfie Instagram campaign and the sorority’s ANAD video with almost 500 views.

“The efforts that the girls put into this week really showed,” Thomas said.

According to Perriello, the DPhiE sisters saw more than 100 guests at their event thanks to the co-sponsoring from Pace’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the University Panhellenic Council (UPC). The sisters of DPhiE felt grateful for all the support at their events as well as social media participation for ANAD Week.

Later in the semester, the DPhiE sisters will be hosting their 65 Roses Gala to benefit the lung disorder cystic fibrosis. The sorority is also planning fund-raisers for its newly adopted philanthropy of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease affecting the nervous system, after an alum was recently affect by the disease.

If a student feels that he or she may have or know someone with an eating disorder, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website, or stop by the Counseling Center in the Administration Building near OSA on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, or at (914) 773-3710.