Local non-profit combats eating disorders through education and prevention
Aug 28, 2024, 9:00 AM | Updated: 10:38 am
A group of several women formed a non-profit called Every Body Retreats to help those who struggle with body image and eating disorders (Image provided by Every Body Retreats)
(Image provided by Every Body Retreats)
SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly one in ten Utahns will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life, according to data from Harvard. That is why a local non-profit is trying to tackle eating disorders by changing the way Utahns think about food and their bodies.
“About 28.8 million Americans will struggle with the eating disorder at one time in their life. And in Utah, [it is] about 9% of the population,” said Every Body Retreats’ Organizational Manager, Olivia Ellis.
Working to prevent eating disorders
Every Body Retreats is a non-profit run by six women who have all had their own, different struggles with eating disorders and body image. The women realized there are a lot of treatment programs in Utah, but no prevention programs. So now they hold retreats, book clubs, speaking engagements, and panel discussions to teach people how to have a healthy mindset about food and body image.
They teach that eating is intuitive and that we should eat what our bodies crave in moderation because food is not inherently good or bad. They also focus on why our bodies are important and worthy, beyond how they look.
“Instead of focusing on having a flat stomach, because that’s in right now, focusing on all the amazing things our stomachs do for us,” Ellis said.
Every Body Retreat is trying to get their message out to the people who are most at-risk. That is why they try to speak at schools, universities, dance camps, and the like. They speak to both students and their parents, because they say sometimes the way we think about food and our bodies can be generational, and those mindsets are hard to break. It is something Ellis and her own mother struggled with.
“Even though she tried to like, keep us from having that same mindset, it’s really, really hard to not pass that on to your kids,” said Ellis.
They also hold Moab retreats a couple times a year, to provide a getaway with speakers and a support system. Their next one is in September. You can learn more or donate to their cause by going to everybodyretreats.com or following the organization on Instagram.
Heather Peterson is a reporter and producer for KSL NewsRadio. She also produces Utah’s Noon News.
