What started as a class project for one UF student can now be used to help many.
Be Real, a campaign created by UF student Anna Daggs, is an organization that aims to educate the Gainesville population about eating disorders.
Daggs, president of Be Real, began the campaign as a project for her strategies class.
"I emailed my final project to Elizabeth Dizney, my Diseases of Eating professor, because I thought she'd be interested," she said.
Dizney then forwarded the campaign to Shands Vista Behavioral Health, which funds the organization.
Daggs is working with Shands Vista to target social media networks that promote an unhealthy lifestyle. Websites such as totalfratmove.com promote the image that physical perfection is a must, she said.
While Be Real aims to educate the entire Gainesville population on eating disorders, its first event will be targeted toward UF's Panhellenic Council women. Be Real will be hosting Dr. Kevin Wandler, Shands Vista's chief of eating disorders programs, and Allison Kreiger Walsh, a former Miss Florida and an UF Greek alumna who suffered from an eating disorder, on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.
Nicole McManus, vice president of Be Real, hopes that when students hear eating disorder stories firsthand, they will become more aware of their prevalence on campus.
"I still look at things like totalfratmove.com and laugh," McManus said. "It hasn't hit home for me because I haven't seen it directly yet."
The members are currently planning a week in October dedicated to raising awareness about the Shands Vista eating disorders program as well as MEL4600, the Diseases of Eating class, she said.
