Eating Disorder Awareness week, like the disorder itself, was a silent struggle.

Posters, magazine clippings of grotesquely thin models and nutrition pamphlets were left untouched at the “Healthy Habits: A Way of Life” presentation by Heather Peterson, yoga instructor and life coach.

Peterson spoke last Wednesday in the Driscoll Gallery informed students about healthy ways of nourishing their bodies and introduced them to the life-enhancing practice of yoga.

The low attendance disappointed members of the DU Health and Counseling Center, which offers professional help for eating disorders.

“The biggest problem is that people don’t know that we are here,” said Casey Wolfington, a physician at the center. “We have psychologists, psychiatrists and a nutritionist who has worked specifically with eating disorders.”

Wolfington said the center offers treatment for multiple facets of eating disorders.

Students can assess themselves for symptoms by taking an online screening and make an appointment for a professional assessment and treatment plan.

In her presentation, Peterson said, “You spend so many years hiding it. Actually owning up to it is the hardest part.”

Peterson, a graduate of DU’s Lamont School of Music and a recovering anorexic/bulimic, described how she struggled with an eating disorder after graduating and recalled the pressures to stay thin as early as middle school.

As a dancer, Peterson was encouraged to manipulate and control her body in order to conform to a particular body shape that was both ideal and unrealistic.

“You feel awful,” said Peterson of her experience with an eating disorder. “The emotional energy and emotional load are so draining.”

Faced with the difficulty of admitting that she had a problem, Peterson finally sought counseling in her late twenties.

Peterson said that many of those afflicted with an eating disorder work too hard to hide it.

“That is when you know that you have a problem, when you have to hide it,” she said.

Battling self doubt and depression that resulted from her eating disorder, Peterson sought an outlet for her recovery that could bring her to greater understanding of her body and allow her to relate to her spirit and intellect, as opposed to her body.

This outlet for healing came from learning how to properly fuel her body and the discovery of yoga, she said.

“The foundation of yoga is acceptance, nonjudgment and kindness,” said Peterson, who after 10 years of practicing yoga has now initiated her own program that uses yoga and a customized nutrition plan to improve others’ relationship with food.

In telling her story, Peterson said recovery often depends on obtaining help.

Peterson recalls no opportunities when she was a student to obtain help.

The goal of Eating Disorders Awareness Week was to encourage those who are struggling to feel empowered to seek help.

It is observed that several eating disorders go untreated because of the social stigma associated with eating disorders, or the fear of confronting the issue.

The Health and Counseling Center is open Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. To make an appointment, call the front desk during business hours at 303.871.220.

Students seeking counseling services are provided with a free, one-hour initial consultation and one additional free appointment after consultation.

The eating disorder screening can be found at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening.