Your body image can have a powerful impact on how your take care of yourself in many areas of health. How you feel about your body may impact your eating, exercise, sleep, drug and alcohol use, sexual decision making and stress levels. The more you appreciate and accept your body for all it does for you, the better you can take care of it.
Unfortunately, we are bombarded with messages every day that our bodies aren’t quite good enough. Ads selling everything from shampoo to diet drinks, diet and exercise books, diet pills and cosmetic surgery reinforce the message that we need more to be “beautiful” or “sexy” or “attractive.” For many people, these messages along with other factors can lead to very negative feelings about their bodies.
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A poor body image can lead to: · emotional distress · low self-esteem · dieting · anxiety · depression · eating disorders · obesity |
Frequency of dieting is also related to: · depression · low self-esteem · difficulty regulating moods · perfectionism · insecurity |
According to a national survey by the National Eating Disorders Association, 91% of college women reported dieting at some point and 70% of college men report being dissatisfied with body image and 32% of men report dieting.
While a healthy diet is important, “dieting” or over restriction are often not healthy ways to achieve good nutrition.
This campaign was conceived and developed by the UHC Health Promotion Staff after talking with dozens of students in focus groups about body image issues at UGA. Students told us that they believe confidence equals attractiveness and they recognize that body image is related to health issues. However, although students recognize the media images as fantasy, they still strive for the thin “ideal.” Students also reported that there is an overwhelming emphasis on appearance and that women often engage in social comparison and competition.
Based on these conversations, the following vision,
mission and goals were developed:
Vision:
UGA is a community where students recognize “beauty” as being both a broadly defined and inclusive term, and where UGA students foster healthy attitudes and behaviors about beauty and body image.
Mission:
To redefine “beautiful woman or man” as having a natural body, complete with imperfections and a unique style – innately beautiful, enjoying gratifying activities, and being influential in society.
Goals:
1. Increase students’ awareness, knowledge, and discussion about body image.
2. Promote health as defined by our behaviors and attitudes towards our bodies.
3. Provide ongoing education opportunities for students to view and critically analyze the media.
The campaign involves collaboration with FLY in offering a month of activities to promote discussion and awareness of body image issues and eating disorder awareness, a poster campaign featuring 2005-06 Orientation Leaders, information on this website, and promotion of activities that enhance healthy attitudes and behaviors about beauty and body image.
