Penn State University press release

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Date: April 10, 2003 For Release: ImmediatelyConference to Explore Prevention and Treatment of Eating DisordersUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.? Penn State will host the ninth annual “Eating Disorders on Campus: The Institutional Response” conference on June 6 and 7 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, Pa. A preconference workshop for clinicians, entitled “Eating Disorders: An Integrative Approach,” will be held on June 5. Judith Ruskay Rabinor, author of the newly published book “A Starving Madness: Tales of Hunger, Hope, and Healing in Psychotherapy,” will be the featured speaker at the workshop.

Experts estimate that more than 15 percent of college-aged women in the United States exhibit substantially disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. These behaviors can have a devastating effect on physical and emotional health. For instance, a young woman with anorexia is 12 times more likely to die than women her age without the disorder. The conference will seek innovative and effective strategies for assessing, treating and preventing eating disorders and body image disturbance in the collegiate setting.

The conference will consist of timely and practice-based workshops presented by student health and counseling professionals from public and private colleges and universities. Also included in the schedule are two informative presentations on self-injury and its relationship to eating disorders. Lisa Barnett will perform “Hand-to-Mouth,” a special theatrical presentation of her struggle with and recovery from bulimia.

“Eating Disorders on Campus” is designed for university and college counseling and student health professionals. Professional staff in residence life or student affairs, coaches, researchers and faculty as well can benefit from attending. Secondary school psychologists, counselors, health professionals and teachers may also find the conference useful.

Interested persons are welcome to register for the preconference workshop and/or the conference. A special discount is available for those who register for both the workshop and the conference. Continuing education credits are available for conference participants. For more information, call 800-PSU-TODAY (778-8632) or visit the conference Web site: www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/EatingDisorders.

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Editor contact: Brian Heckman, 814-865-7600 or [email protected] 03-1868bkh/msiPenn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

To: Calendar of Events Editor

From: Brian Heckman, Marketing Associate Penn State Outreach Marketing Communications 814-865-7600 or [email protected]

Date sent: April 10, 2003

Please include the following program in your publication?s Calendar of Events section:

Penn State will host the ninth annual “Eating Disorders on Campus: The Institutional Response” conference June 6 and 7 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, Pennsylvania. A preconference workshop for clinicians entitled “Eating Disorders: An Integrative Approach” will be held on June 5. Judith Ruskay Rabinor, author of the newly published book “A Starving Madness: Tales of Hunger Hope, and Healing in Psychotherapy,” will be the featured speaker at the workshop. For more information, please call 800-PSU-TODAY (778-8632) or visit the conference Web site: www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/eatingdisorders.