Every year thousands of people risk their lives - high school and college students in particular - trying to lose or control their weight through anorexia, bulimia or binge eating. Hoping to help end that cycle, Cal State Northridge officials are offering a weeklong series of free events beginning Monday, Feb. 26, designed to bolster a person's self-image while at the same time raising awareness about eating disorders.

"Eating Disorder Awareness Week has been taking place on college campuses nationwide for over a decade as a means of providing awareness and treatment options," said Ellen Mayer, a university counselor. "Unfortunately, thousands of girls, boys, women and men are still plagued with negative body images, an obsession with food and the fear of being overweight. It is estimated that 5 to 10 percent of women and men have some form of an eating disorder. It is our goal to reach out to this population with specific information and resources for help."

CSUN's activities begin Feb. 26 with the "Mind and Body Fair: Every Body is Beautiful," which will feature massages, henna tattoos, a relaxation room, information booths, free food and free screening for possible eating disorders.

The fair will include "Room with a View," where participants can weigh themselves on a scale of fortune, look through a distorted mirror, read vignettes, express feelings on a graffiti wall and view an art exhibit.

"The fair is designed to not only raise awareness about eating disorders, but to give women and men a day to pamper themselves and to escape the stresses of everyday life," Mayer said.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Student Union's Grand Salon near the center of the campus.

Dr. Vicki Berkus, director of the Sierra Tucson treatment center, will discuss the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and compulsive overeating on Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. and again from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Grand Salon.

That evening at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of Building 9 of the University Park Apartments, a woman will share her personal story of her eight-year battle with an eating disorder.

Linda Blakeley, a psychologist and creator of Positive Self-Images, a treatment program for eating disorders in Beverly Hills, will star Wednesday, Feb. 28, in, "The Magic Dress," a one-act fable about a young girl's struggle with her body image. The performance is from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Grand Salon.

At noon on Feb. 28 in the Grand Salon, Divya Kahaiya, director of the Healthy Within day treatment program in San Diego, will discuss body image issues and eating disorders within the African American, Native American, Asian and Latino communities.

For more information about any of these events, call University Counseling Services at (818) 677-2366 or visit the web site at http://www.csun.edu/counseling/jade.html.

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full- and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.