- Recognize the signs and symptoms of common eating disorders
- Learn how to support friends/loved ones who may be dealing with an eating disorder
- Note: We recommend having a mental health professional on standby for consultation and support if questions/concerns arise from discussion.
- Before the meeting, club leaders should print off the scenario flashcards and check if the link to the video is working.
- Provide a content warning at the beginning of the meeting (e.g. CW: Today’s meeting will touch on themes related to eating disorder, food, and body image) and leave enough time for folks to opt-out of this discussion.
- To begin the activity, review the following as a large group:
- Pause and ask students to share quick thoughts, reactions, or questions
- Work through the first scenario as a large group.
- Facilitators should ask the group these questions:
- What disorder does Jessica seem to be struggling with? How can you tell?
- What are some ways you could offer support to Jessica?
- If the person in the scenario was your close friend or a loved one, would you act differently? How would you support them?
- Facilitators should ask the group these questions:
- Once your group has worked through the first scenario, break students up into smaller groups of 3-4. Each group should be given one scenario to work through. Encourage them to consider the following questions:
- How might you offer support to the character in your specific scenario? How might this support differ from the support you offered Jessica?
- If the person in the scenario was your close friend or a loved one, would you act differently? How would you support them?
- What did you learn or take away from this exercise?
- Are you confident in your skills to support someone struggling with an eating disorder? Why or why not?
- When is it appropriate to get a trusted adult involved?
- This exercise is not asking students to come up with an accurate diagnosis of which type of eating disorders the character has; rather, it is a practice to identify warning signs of disordered eating and symptoms of eating disorders.
- Students are tasked to brainstorm ways to offer support and validation while also practicing skills to encourage help-seeking.