Published: Nov. 27, 2012

The University of Colorado Boulder's Conference on World Affairs Athenaeum will host a free student-only dinner “It's Okay to be Happy: Overcoming Adversity” with internationally known eating disorder expert Jenni Schaefer on Thursday, Nov. 29. An RSVP is required for the dinner. Email ath@colorado.edu for more info and to RSVP. There will also be a free public talk “Perfectly Imperfect: Eating and Body Image” on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. in the University Memorial Center, room 235.

Schaefer, whose own eating issues began as a young child, created an approach to the disorder that enables men and women to personify their illness. As part of her own healing process, she named her illness “ED,” short for eating disorder. Her first book, Life Without Ed, turned into a national bestseller and has helped expand and improve approaches to treating eating disorders. Schaefer is a regular commentator on television shows such as Dr. Phil and Entertainment Tonight. In addition to her books, her writing has appeared in The New York Times and Cosmopolitan.

The CWA Athenaeum Series is a student-run offshoot of the Conference on World Affairs. The program brings acclaimed speakers and performers to campus to interact with CU students in classes throughout the academic year. A typical Athenaeum program also includes a public event, which is free and open to all.