NEWCOPE's mission is:
To provide students with support through resources and information as well as promoting awareness on issues related to eating disorders, weight, and body image.
In a decade when the media inundates us with the message "thin is in," many young men and women struggle to come to terms with their own body image. Recently, under the direction of Dr. Emily Fox Kales, a group of students initiated a program called NEWCOPE to respond to the needs of students.
With the support of many departments, including the Psychology Department, NEWCOPE has been able to establish a drop-in center. Here, students can receive empathic listening, find informative resources such as books, pamphlets, and videotapes, and obtain referrals to outside treatment centers if necessary. (See home page for drop-in center hours and location.)
NEWCOPE has been putting forth great efforts to establish its presence at NU. We participated in the Wellness Fair where we distributed information about NEWCOPE and talked with students. Dr. Kales was the keynote speaker at a lecture for the Lunch and Learned series, during which she spoke about the dangers of eating disorders, and the methods by which a university can cope with these problems.
Dr. Kales also wrote an article for the Wellness committee's newsletter, Wellnews, in which she discussed the relationship between college life in the onset of eating disorders:
"Because problems with eating behavior often are linked to psychological stress and development crises, it is not surprising that college is a particularly challenging time for the young adult. Separating from home, adjusting to dormitory life, coping with social and academic pressure, and meeting college team requirements can precipitate a full-blown eating disorder in a psychologically vulnerable student. Many students are influenced by the infectious fervor of roommates or teammates to be 'good' (i.e., the only low-fat food or atone for last night's 'pig-out') or to sport a body which reflects the prevailing ideal."
"As a result we're seeing an alarming increase in what is called 'sub-clinical' eating disorders; that is, eating practices which, while not meeting the diagnostic criteria for anorexia or bulimia, do indicate an abnormal preoccupation with weight and body shape. For example, one recent study reports that 14% of college-age woman self-induce vomiting and 8% abuse laxatives, at least once in while, to control weight, and as many as 40% limit their food intake to 800 calories, or less, a day."
In the future, we hope to sponsor colloquium speakers to talk on related topics. Through many varied outlets, NEWCOPE is an organization dedicated to providing support education for students in need.