AMES, Iowa -- The parents of a 19-year old who died after a yearlong struggle with bulimia will be the headline speakers for Iowa State University's Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week activities, Feb. 20-27.
Tom and Doris Smeltzer will present "Andrea's Voice: Silenced by Bulimia" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The talk is free and open to the public.
Andrea Smeltzer was vibrant, talented, strong and beautiful. But, after battling bulimia for only a year, she died in her sleep. Andrea's death catapulted her mother into a journey of discovery. In the book, "Andrea's Voice," Doris combined Andrea's poetry, letters and journal entries to tell her daughter's story and share her own passage through grief.
Doris also wrote the popular blogs "Advice for Parents" and "A Joyful Journey" for several years following her daughter's death. A retired school counselor, she focuses all of her time on eating disorder prevention through the Andrea's Voice Foundation. She hosted the VoiceAmericaTM radio show, "Savor Yourself ... Beyond Skin Deep." She and her husband, a retired college professor, coauthored an article in "Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research-Practice Gap." They also appeared in the 2007 award-winning documentary, "America the Beautiful: Is America Obsessed with Beauty?"
The Smeltzers also will speak at the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa's (EDCI) Awareness Day conference at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Holiday Inn Northwest, 4800 Merle Hay Road, Urbandale. The conference includes continuing education for professionals and breakout sessions for the public. Details are online at http://www.edciowa.com/.
The following are the additional on-campus activities for Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week at Iowa State.
"The Illusionists"
7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, 101 Carver Hall
Documentary and panel discussion
The documentary by Italian filmmaker Elena Rossini discusses the global marketing of unattainable beauty ideals. Filmed in the U.S., Europe, Lebanon, India and Japan, "The Illusionists" shows the commodification of the body and pursuit of a western ideal of beauty. Rossini is the founder and editor-in-chief of "No Country for Young Women," a website that provides positive role models for young girls through more than 100 interviews of women representing five continents, seven decades and more than two dozen professions.
"Honor Your Hunger Bake Sale"
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, LeBaron Hall Lobby
"Rock Your Body"
Noon-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, Memorial Union Oak Room
A party in honor of you and your body will feature free food, games, prizes, biofeedback, recovery stories and displays, and vendors supporting body acceptance.
"Eating Disorders and Athletes"
9 -10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, 1011 Coover Hall
Training for university staff/personnel and students in pre-professional fields on working with eating disorders. Presented by The Emily Program.
Campus events are co-sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs; Athletics Department; colleges of Business, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences (Miller Lecture Fund), and Veterinary Medicine; departments of Agronomy, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Kinesiology, and Psychology; Women's and Gender Studies Program; Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa; and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Student Government.
