Project HEAL Shines Light on Eating Disorders
By Bridget Turner
According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, about 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder. On college campuses, 3.5 percent of women and 2.1 percent of men report having an eating disorder.
This past fall, the Elon community became one of 40 chapters of Project HEAL, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for individuals affected by eating disorders. Hannah Durbin, a senior at Elon University, founded the Elon community chapter and works tirelessly to expand its reach.
“Our main mission is to raise money for the national treatment fund, which grants money to individuals who cannot afford treatment on their own,” she said. “In addition, we work to spread awareness, increase education, promote body positivity, and prove that full recovery is possible.”
After battling anorexia and reaching full recovery in treatment, Durbin was inspired by a friend in treatment who had also reached full recovery and had started a chapter of her own. In doing so, she hopes to reverse the normalization of eating disorders on campus in order to promote a much healthier and balanced student body.
Although still in the developmental phase, the chapter has gained 25 members, while currently seeking official registration on campus. Efforts to spread awareness and raise money include a local profit share and numerous fundraisers like #GivingTuesday, which raised nearly $4,000 for the treatment fund.
Durbin shares future plans for the chapter once Project HEAL is official registered with the university.
“We are working to bring speakers in next semester, and host more on-campus events for students to attend and become more familiar with our organization,” Durbin said.
The conversation of eating disorder recovery is extremely important, and affects many students on Elon’s campus. Through this chapter, Durbin intends to increase the understanding that full recovery is possible, a process that is individual to all, spanning anywhere from three to seven years or longer.
Durbin actively promotes practices of a healthy lifestyle on her Instagram, @happy_healthy_hannah, as well as her Youtube channel.
“I hope to serve as a resource and outlet for those who are suffering," she said.
At the same time, she wishes to spread awareness of this illness for those who lack full understanding, yet struggle just the same.
Lauren Miskovsky, a senior at Elon, became a member of Project HEAL after her own struggle with an eating disorder. Miskovsky joins in the effort to address the prevalence of eating disorders on campus, while also providing financial support for those who cannot afford treatment.
Miskovsky plans to extend this work into a future career as a registered dietician, focused on bringing recovery and treatment to individuals affected by this illness.
“My hope is that people can see this organization as a representation of self love, care and understanding that we are all different and healthy in our own ways and our own weight that can't be defined by any one diet, exercise program or number, but rather by ourselves individually,” Miskovsky said.
By starting this conversation on campus, the members of Project HEAL have the potential and ability to positively influence our student body, and shed light on an illness that so many battle each and every day.