For eight years, Cheyenne Buckingham had an eating disorder.
Despite that, Buckingham uses her eating disorder as inspiration for her work as a health-food writer.
“I still relapse now and then, but I strive to inspire people to lead healthy lifestyles to fuel themselves with good food and to not fear food,” Buckingham, a senior studying journalism, said.
Sponsored by aerie, the Women’s Center and the LGBT Center, Athens’ first National Eating Disorder Association Walk took place Saturday at West State Street Park.
With a crowd of more than 100 people, the event successfully managed to raise about $6,000 for NEDA to help people obtain better access to eating disorder treatments, Shelby Martin, the host of Athens’ NEDAWalk, said.
The goal of the event “was really to bring people out, build awareness (around eating disorders) and just bring some attention onto this topic,” Martin, a second-year graduate student studying clinical psychology, said.
“I think people had a really good time, they got connected to resources, … to each other and (were able to) build a sense of community around (the topic) which I think is really good,” she said.
One of the groups at the event was The Positivity Project, a newly-formed student organization on campus aiming to promote body positivity across Athens.
Rebecca Cherry, a senior studying psychology and the head of the group, emphasized the importance of body positivity.
“(Body positivity) is something that a lot of people in society talk about, but I don’t think we act on it as much as we should,” Cherry said. “A lot of people say we’re suppose to love ourselves, but then we all go on diets or do these ridiculous exercise regiments.”
The event also featured several speeches, a brief yoga lesson by instructor Richa Eland, as well as an a cappella performance by Ohio University’s Title IX.
In her opening speech, Martin discussed the stigmas surrounding mental illnesses and stated that eating disorders have the highest mortality rates out of all mental illnesses.
However, eating disorders remain a topic that often goes undiscussed, Buckingham said.
“(It’s) an issue that should not be covered (up,) … punished, (or) looked down upon,” Buckingham said. “(People who have eating disorders) should feel like they’re able to reach out and get the help they need and not be patronized (or) put down because of it.”
Although she will graduate next year, Buckingham “would love to come back” for the walk and is excited to see the “crowd double next year.”
At the end of her opening speech, Martin stressed that “beauty really does come in all shapes, sizes, races, ethnicities, beliefs and backgrounds.”
“So today, we walk for health and beauty at every size and for every body,” Martin said. “To put it simply, always remember, rock what you got.”
