A Lilac Bench outside Ospedale del Ponte in Varese: an invitation to reflect on eating and feeding disorders, areas of study and research at the University of Insubria.

A Lilac Bench was unveiled on Sunday 15 March outside Ospedale del Ponte in Varese, on the occasion of the National Lilac Ribbon Day. It is much more than a symbol: it is a tangible sign inviting the community to stop, reflect and talk about Eating and Feeding Disorders, complex conditions affecting a growing number of children, adolescents and adults, and requiring attention, prevention, research and care.

The initiative, promoted by Lions Club Varese Host and supported by the University of Insubria, is part of the broader awareness-raising efforts linked to National Lilac Ribbon Day, with the aim of increasing awareness of these disorders and promoting a culture of prevention, listening and care.

The event also provided an opportunity to highlight the University’s commitment, as through research, education and awareness-raising it contributes to the study, prevention and management of Eating and Feeding Disorders.

Thanks go to the professors of the University of Insubria who are engaged in these issues: Massimo Agosti, Full Professor of Paediatrics, Director of the School of Specialisation in Paediatrics, of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care, and of the Mother and Child Department at Ospedale Del Ponte in Varese, who has long promoted healthy lifestyles in childhood and adolescence and the prevention of risk factors; Camilla Callegari, Full Professor of Psychiatry, the Rector’s Delegate for policies relating to disability and psychological wellbeing, and Director of the Hospital’s Department of Mental Health and Addictions; Cristiano Termine, Full Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry, Head of the Hospital’s Complex Unit of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry.

A contribution to awareness-raising and prevention activities on these issues is also made by Eugenia Dozio, a clinical dietitian affiliated with the University’s Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation.

The Lilac Bench reminds us that prevention, care and awareness of Eating and Feeding Disorders are a shared responsibility between universities, institutions and the community.