Bradley students, staff, and faculty are raising awareness about the acceptance for every body type through the body project. The body project is promoting just that through events and their newsletter, “Body Talk.”
Mary Kate Paetow-Fanning is the event planning and programming intern for the body project.
“We want to spread awareness about the seriousness of eating disorders as well as the importance of positive body image,” Paetow- Fanning said.
Dr. Danielle Glassmeyer and Lisa Fix-Griffin from the counseling office are the faculty advisors of the group. Glassmeyer has two goals in mind for the body project.
“[I want] to help challenge the appearance ideal and bias against bodies that don’t fit that ideal, whether because of size, shape, skin color, age, gender, sexuality or ability,” said Glassmeyer. “[And] to provide students high quality, real-world experience through our internship team opportunities.”
The body project started at Bradley in 2007 with Jackie Hogan, a professor in sociology and a professor from Illinois State University. They received information about body image and eating disorders through research done by students for a class.
Hogan also began raising awareness for the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA).
“[They began] doing a number of things around campus to build up awareness and working to start removing the stigma associated with eating disorders,” Glassmeyer said.
The group focuses on every type of body, regardless of shape, size, color, etc. Events and programming for the group hit on many topics such as racism, sexism, fatism and eating disorders.
“Body Talk” is something new the team is trying this year to complement their social media content including articles and videos about body image and eating disorders.
The first issue is out now and covered the myth of the “Freshman 15.” Future newsletters are planned to cover a variety of topics such as “health at every size” and “ditching the diet.”
“Eating disorders are a much more prevalent problem than people may think so it’s important to know about it,” Paetow-Fanning said. “The best way to start breaking the stigma is by educating people, so we want to ensure that people are geared with the right knowledge about eating disorders and body image issues.”
“I hope this newsletter will be an outlet where team members can share information and facts that they’ve gathered through research in ways that support members of the Bradley community as they strive to challenge unrealistic body image in their daily
lives,” Glassmeyer said.
According to Paetow-Fanning,
many college students struggle with body image.
“Everyone has felt insecure about some part of their body at some point and it’s always nice to remember you’re not alone in that,” she said.
“We would like to one day see a world without eating disorders or distorted body image, but short-term we’re hoping to just help Bradley students to be accepting of the bodies they’re living in as well as be free of judgement of other people’s bodies,” said Glassmeyer.
The team plans many events throughout the year. In November, they will be showing a film about individuals’ struggles with eating disorders with a discussion afterwards.
A speaker will discuss eating disorders and body image during NEDA Week in February. The annual NEDA Walk in April will raise money for the cause. There will also be speakers discussing how eating disorders have touched their lives personally.
Students can join the mailing list for “Body Talk” by reaching out to the body project at bubodyproject@ gmail.com.
