Eating Concerns Mentors
Eating Concerns Mentors
Eating Concerns Mentors (ECMs) provide individual support and education to UNH students who are struggling with eating concerns. It is also for UNH students who are concerned about a friend or family member with this issue.
What is an eating concern?
Eating concerns include disordered or chaotic eating patterns, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. An eating concern may also involve body dissatisfaction and/or obsession with exercise.
What are some signs and symptoms of eating concerns?
- Preoccupation with your weight or shape, food, or exercise
- Isolation or avoidance of social situations because there will be food present
- Inability to menstruate
- Feeling out of control while eating or around food
- A negative attitude about your body, weight, or shape; often compare yourself to others
- Unhealthy relationship with food and exercise
- Extreme weight fluctuations
- Inability to partake in activities that you used to enjoy
- Feeling numb and empty inside like your life lacks fulfillment or happiness
Who are Eating Concerns Mentors (ECMs)?
Eating Concerns Mentors (ECMs) are UNH students who are trained to provide peers with support and information regarding eating concerns. They are volunteers committed to helping peers with eating concerns. They receive extensive training and supervision from the Nutrition Educator at Health Services and two peer leaders.
Mentors are not a substitute for professional help and may direct you to other campus services such as the Counseling Center or Health Services, if appropriate.
What are the beliefs of the Eating Concerns Mentors?
- Talking to someone about their eating disorder can make a difference in their life
- An eating disorder can happen to anyone
- There is no one universal cause of an eating disorder
- Eating disorders are not about food
- No food is “good” or “bad”
- Dieting does not work
- A person’s size does not determine his/her health
- Limited representation of different body types in the media impacts the body image of many individuals, which in turn may impact eating behaviors
Could you benefit from connecting with a mentor?
If you are a UNH student working toward recovery from an eating concern, struggling to prevent relapse from an eating concern or are questioning whether you have an eating concern then this program may be helpful. The program is also for students concerned about a friend or family member with these issues.
When are mentors available?
ECM mentors are only available during the academic year when classes are in session. They arrange contacts with students based their individual schedules.
How long does it take to get a response?
The mentor will make the initial contact within 48-72 hours via email. Occasionally there may be a technical issue with the link provided. If you have difficulty with the link or are not contacted within 72 hours, please call the Office of Health Education & Promotion, Health Services at (603) 862-3823.
What kind of support and help can I expect?
Initial contact is via email. Additional contact is determined by the mentor and student. Contact may be via email, phone conversation or face-to-face meeting.
Is confidentiality respected?
Mentors respect confidentiality unless a student discloses that they may harm themselves or somebody else.
How do I connect with a mentor?
By clicking the button below, you will be directed to a brief and confidential questionnaire that will allow you to tell us more about the situation that you are struggling with. Once we have received your request to be connected with a mentor, we will review your questionnaire and pair you with a compatible peer mentor.
