Mississippi State University’s Student Counseling Services and Department of Health Promotion and Wellness will be hosting sessions of Food Freedom throughout the spring semester. 

The campus support group, Food Freedom, was created for students experiencing challenges with nutrition and eating behaviors. Meetings will be held throughout the semester at 4 p.m. in room 231 of the Colvard Student Union.

The group was formerly known as Lotus Group when the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness founded it in 2019, and it has been recently rebranded as Food Freedom since collaborating with Student Counseling Services.

Santee Ezell, Health Promotion and Wellness director, said the group was formed in response to students’ concerns about diet culture, self-acceptance and body image. After conducting focus groups and surveys in 2018, Ezell said a need was identified.

“In 2019, the Registered Dietitian decided to incorporate a support group for women,” Ezell said. 

Ezell said the reception of the Lotus Group was positive.

“When Lotus Group was established, we had diverse women from different walks of life that were passionate about body image, self-love, acceptance and cultivating self-identity,” Ezell said.

What originally began as a women’s support group is now open to all MSU students.

“We’d like to see our group increase in attendance and encourage student feedback,” Ezell said.

Members of Food Freedom will walk through an intuitive eating workbook under the guidance of facilitators.

Suzanne Bowen, a registered dietician with the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness, will co-facilitate the group with Claire Griese. Bowen believed the philosophy of intuitive eating is powerful.

“I think people are worn out by all the diet culture messaging that’s around these days, so the intuitive eating philosophy can be very liberating,” Bowen said. “Once you remove those barriers, you have room to explore what your body needs.” 

Bowen said the intuitive eating philosophy helped individuals with the guilt attached to taboo foods.

“It does not disregard nutrition, but gives you permission to drop the guilt over eating foods our culture has labeled as bad,” Bowen said. 

According to Bowen, research has shown the health benefits of intuitive eating, such as lower triglycerides, lower body mass index and higher HDL.

Food Freedom is just one resource available to help students with food and nutrition.

Kimberly Mason-Peeples, assistant director of Student Counseling Services, said other alternatives were available through SCS.

“The Student Counseling Center offers counseling services included in students’ tuition that are inclusive of eating disorder treatment,” Mason-Peeples said. 

Bowen also recommended contacting the Longest Student Health Center for help regarding nutrition and food habits.

“I offer free nutrition counseling for MSU students,” Bowen said. “If you have any nutrition-related concern, you can call the Longest Student Health Center scheduling desk and set up an appointment.”

The Longest Student Health Center can be reached at 662-325-2431 while the Student Counseling Center can be reached at 662-325-2091.
Students interested in joining Food Freedom can join the email list at www.qrco.de/foodfreedomspr23.