The main goal of the “Brighter Side Of Exercise” Project is to raise awareness about the importance of health-enhancing physical activity in treating anorexia and its role in the process of (re)integration into the society. Through the cooperation of 14 organizations from 14 EU countries, the project shall first analyze the problem of anorexia and physical activity (in its double function in this problem) in order to develop a pilot project of moderate physical activity in the phases of therapy and post-therapy which shall be implemented during a sport event. All activities shall take place during the week of sport in the second half of September 2017 on one hand, and on the other, during the meetings and exchanges which will be organized before and after the sports events. The sport manifestation will gather more than 150 people in treatment or post-treatment for anorexia which will represent the very first event of this kind.
The specific goals of the project are:
- Creating a network of experts from EU institutions and other professionals/experts connected to the problem of anorexia and the effect of physical activity with a goal of developing innovative models of exercising.
- Highlighting the importance of a health-enhancing physical activity (not just in relation to anorexia) with a purpose of raising the general living quality
- To promote physical activity in the battle with disability (after the healing process)
- Strengthening the importance of sports in the process of social inclusion of the target group
- Awakening and strengthening the capacities of sports professionals in relation to the negative influence of exercising on the development of the disability
Physical activity in this context of anorexia treatment and post-treatment causes opposite reactions of experts from various fields, including the experts who conduct the health-oriented physical activity. The main question which arises is how to make one of the indications of the disease – physical activity – its therapy. While the compulsive exercising is an ally of the afflicted in their intention to lose weight, the physical activity in therapy and post-therapy should lead to the increase of the general health level. It is certain that there are no harmonized stances which might contribute to defining the methodology of the implementation of physical activity in the treatment of anorexia and resocialization.
BSOE will, for a week, be a meeting place of the interaction between participants, mainly people who suffer or have suffered from anorexia, in order to exchange their understanding of physical activity; from being an instrument of reaching the perfect body goal to the one which has a purpose of reaching the balanced psychophysical well-being and creating the interaction with the society.
On the other hand, the Project shall contribute to the acquisition of knowledge and best practices in various contexts in which the physical activity promotes general health and influences the social inclusion directly. People that shall participate in the one-year program are the professionals with specific knowledge about the problem of anorexia and it is the multidisciplinary approach that will enable the creation of a coherent framework, both the normative and the best practices one, on the EU level. This knowledge is essential in promoting the goals of the EU with regard to social inclusion in and through sport, as emphasized in EU White Paper on Sport :”The quality and comparability of data need to be improved to allow for better strategic planning and policy-making in the area of sport.”
A narrow cooperation with sport clubs/organizations/associations shall be established so that they would be familiar from the start with the problem which is very little known of and, because of the nature of the disease, very little spoke of, in all countries with the participating sending organizations head offices. We wish to create a basis for the establishment of testing platforms with the aim of raising awareness both in professionals from various sectors (especially fitness and sport clubs) and in afflicted or borderline people.