As a recovering bulimic, Stacey Prussman says she understands more than most about the dangers of eating disorders. She uses her experience as the basis for her lectures on eating disorders.
Prussman spoke to hundreds of students, mostly members of the greek community, Wednesday night in the EMU Ballroom about symptoms of an eating disorder, how to confront someone who has one, and ways to overcome destructive eating habits.
The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) co-sponsored the event as part of ongoing efforts to bring national speakers to campus, said Jacob Daniels, president of the IFC.
“It’s good to involve all the students in something informative where they get the facts and not misconceptions of eating disorders,” Daniels said. “So maybe if one of their fraternity or sorority sisters has an eating disorder, they’ll be able to recognize it from attending this event.”
The lecture was funded by the PHC because eating disorders are particularly relevant to female students, but they also affect men and the greater student community as well, said Amy Long, a Greek Leadership Advisor.
Prussman also discussed males obsessed with building huge muscles and overtraining, what she dubbed “big-orexia.” She said it was a growing phenomenon among young men.
Prussman, a former Phi Sigma Sigma member, shared her early childhood memories of being teased for being overweight by friends and her father. She said food was her tool to combat loneliness and boredom.
Being overweight was not a major problem for Prussman until she tried out for the Broadway musical “Annie” when she was 10 years old.
“The agent said, ‘you know, you have a really nice singing voice, but there are no fat Annies,’” Prussman said. “I was like, oh my god he’s right. There are no fat Annies. I mean, she was born in the Depression right?
“But I was fat and I wanted to be Annie more than anything, so I went on a diet,” said Prussman.
Prussman battled anorexia nervosa, bulimia and “disordered eating” throughout high school and college, she said. Prussman finally realized she had eating disorders after she was admitted to the hospital for being dehydrated.
The doctor asked whether she had an eating disorder, and Prussman was surprised to learn her habit of throwing up after eating was not normal. Prussman joined Overeaters Anonymous and began therapy. Part of her recovery has been giving speeches that deal with the serious topic in a humorous way, Prussman said.
Prussman concluded her speech with advice on how to handle stress in a healthy manner: “Listen to music, dance, hang out with friends, exercise, and write down five things you love about yourself daily.”
Adi Cargni, president of PHC, said the audience’s response was positive overall.
“It was kind of a harsh subject to be injected with humor,” Adi Cargni said. “But at the end, people did appreciate her honesty and how she presented herself.”
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