National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Hi Smart Gals!

I wanted to share the news that this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Feb 25 – March 1), a week designed to highlight the fact that body size and shape are strongly influenced by biological factors.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, too often we struggle against our natural, genetically influenced size just to fit into that pair of “skinny jeans” in the back of our closets.

“Fighting your natural size and shape can lead to unhealthy dieting practices, poor body image and sometimes eating disorders.”

The Great Jeans Giveaway

Part of the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is the Great Jeans Giveaway, which encourages people to appreciate the role their genes play in determining body shape and size and stop trying to turn their body into something it’s not.

“While you can adopt a healthy lifestyle and aim to be fit for your particular body type, you cannot change your genes. We want everyone to start feeling comfortable in their genes by wearing comfortable jeans. The Great Jeans Giveaway events empower individuals to donate old (or new) pairs of jeans that do not comfortably fit.”

(I love this idea, as I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair of jeans. If I got paid for every minute I spent in the dressing rooms of the GAP, JCrew, and Old Navy with a pile of denim to get through, I’d be a rich woman!)

TRUE jeans, an online jeans store that matches shoppers to jeans that fit each person’s unique body, has partnered with the National Eating Disorders Association as the sponsor of the Embrace Your Genes campaign. They are offering a 20% discount on their jeans through the month of March, and for every discount redeemed, they’ll donate an additional $20 to NEDA to join in efforts to prevent and cure eating disorders and promote a healthy body image. (Enter promo code: MYGENES at checkout).

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With skinny jeans back in style (though you’ll never catch me in a pair of them), and the increasing presence of jeans in stores size 0 (when are they going to start having negative numbers?), the message behind NEDA’s awareness week seems extremely relevant. To find out more about the Great Jeans Giveaway and learn about events happening near you, visit this site and search by your state.