DeKALB – The week of Feb. 20 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Eating disorders affect everyone from every background and include 9% of the US population, that’s 28.8 million Americans who will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

NIU’s Nutrition Team is  providing students with programs to help promote awareness and support of people with eating disorders.

The team’s first event will be a Mindful Cooking Class at 5 p.m. Feb. 21 at Wirtz Hall, Room 306. The event will teach students to cook healthier meals specifically, chicken caprese pasta.

In addition to the Mindful Cooking Class, the NIU Nutrition Team will also be hosting a virtual event at 5 p.m. Feb. 22 on Zoom. The event will be a panel discussion regarding eating disorders and the recovery process.

The Student Dietetic Association will also be hosting an engagement table from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and Mar. 2 at the Homes Student Center. Students will be able to learn more about disordered eating and how to help someone who may be dealing with an eating disorder. Students will also be provided resources for local support and treatment.

There will be a giveaway over NEDAW too. Any student who attends any nutrition event will receive a raffle entry for a brand-new crockpot, smoothie blender or rice cooker.

The NIU Nutrition Team is always hosting events beyond NEDAW; to learn of these events, as well as other nutrition tips, students can subscribe to nutrition’s monthly newsletter on its website.