Leslie George Speak Out

I attended Sigma Sigma Sigma’s Annual Leslie George Speak Out on February 28rd. This is my second year in a row attending the event. Every year, in February, Tri Sigma hosts the annual Leslie George Speak Out to raise awareness on eating disorders. Leslie George is a sister of Tri Sigma who tragically lost her life due to bulimia. This speak out is an opportunity to speak awareness on eating disorders and for people to share their experiences. The event is very heavy and emotional but shows that there are other people who can relate to you. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kathleen MacDonald (@insuranceadvocacy4all)

The Leslie George Speak Out takes place every year in the last week of February, which is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The event is a safe environment where people get to share their stories and connect with others like them, while spreading awareness. 

The night started a speaker telling the story of Leslie George and why it is important for her and what happened to her be remembered each year. After that a couple girls from Sri Sigma stood up to talk about their own experiences with eat disorders or body image issues they had. They welcomed anyone to come up and speak about their experiences. That is when I took the time to look around the crowd of over 400 people and I noticed about 99% of the room were women. One by one women stood up and shared their different experiences, big or small. The event was way more then a lecture, it was an experience to connect with our peers on such an important issue.

Eating disorder awareness is very important especially for college kids. Eating disorders tend to be overlooked, but according to the National Eating Disorders Association, up to 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, and college kids are the highest at risk. Eating disorder awareness is very important because many people don’t realize the signs they have an eating disorder before it’s too late. 

All throughout my sophomore year of high school I was working out more and eating less. I wanted to get in shape and stay healthy, I never thought this was a problem because I convinced myself I was getting in shape for Lacrosse. By the time Lacrosse tryouts rolled around in the spring, I had lost a lot of weight. I had to get a physical to be cleared to play my position and did not pass. That is when I realized I had problem that I could have prevented if I had been aware of it in the first place. 

During the Leslie George speak out, a point that was brought up a lot is that it is important to get help now before it is too late. Reach out to people you love and you trust. After leaving the speak out I realized how important it is to love yourself and to be there not only for others but yourself as well. I truly encourage everyone to attend this event if possible. Even if you do not struggle with an eating disorder you can still gain something positive from this event. It really surrounded the fact that everyone is struggling with something and it is so important to love yourself and the people around you. 

This event is a constant reminder of the strength that survivors and the people who are fighting eating disorders now have. It shows the huge importance of providing a safe and encouraging space for people to share their stories and connect with their peers who have gone through similar experiences.