“Eating disorders are deadly… and the silence around them even more so.”

Back in March, Enloe juniors Sophie Schaefer and Julia Kasper started an organization called Scales Are For Fish, with a goal of raising $500 for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). They met and surpassed this goal, with a grand total of $1,019 raised for the cause. But raising money isn’t the only thing the girls did—through their campaign, they spread awareness about a highly prevalent issue in our society, working to reduce the stigma that traditionally surrounds the topic.

When thinking about how to best raise money for the cause, Schaefer and Kasper wanted to choose something symbolic. They came up with the idea of selling small sweets for people to enjoy, because being able to eat desserts from time to time is a symbol of recovery from an eating disorder. 

“A few people have commented on the irony of selling sweets as a way to raise money for eating disorder awareness. While we can definitely see this perspective, the purpose of us making and selling these desserts is so people can enjoy delicious treats while raising awareness about a stereotype that we are trying to steer away from,” Schaefer and Kasper say. A common myth is that people who have struggled with eating disorders cannot eat any foods that we would traditionally consider ‘unhealthy’, such as dessert foods. The truth is quite the opposite. Eating sweet foods every now and then is a healthy habit for everyone—whether they have struggled with an eating disorder or not. 

When asked what inspired them to start Scales Are For Fish, Schaefer and Kasper say their passion to advocate for the cause largely comes from personal experience. 

“We have seen firsthand the effects of stigma and lack of public awareness around eating disorders, and so we created Scales Are For Fish as a way to change that.” While the girls acknowledge that getting rid of stigma on a large scale is near impossible, they believe that the first step is to start in your own community. 

Although their original goal was to raise money for the NEDA fundraising walk in Raleigh, they realized they don’t have to stop there. 

“We will strive to continue our journey even after the walk is over, advocating for those affected by eating disorders,” they say.

The walk is currently scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 25th. You can find more information by following @scalesareforfish2020 on Instagram.