We are what we eat…or are we?
The members of IMAGE believe that self-image should be based on much more than food.
IMAGE is a student organization dedicated to promoting awareness and education on body image related issues. This week is the club’s annual IMAGE week, and the club has hosted various speakers and presentations throughout the week. On Wednesday, Feb 20, they will be hosting "Food 101" at 6 pm in Buttrick 309. A light dinner will be served. "Surviving Eating Disorders: A Panel Discussion" will be held on Thursday, Feb 21, in Buttrick 102 at 7 pm.
Feylyn Lewis says that the "Surviving Eating Disorders" panel discussion on Thursday is sure to be a memorable event.
"Hearing stories from fellow peers often strikes a chord with students as we all quickly realize that the pain and suffering associated with an eating disorder can be very close to home," she said.
Lewis encountered body image issues in her ballet classes as a child. She explains, "Eating disorders have a high prevalence in the world of ballet. Growing up, I watched several of my fellow ballet classmates and friends diet and starve their way to their idea of a perfect body image, some even to the point of hospitalization."
IMAGE President Stephanie Rodgers also has a personal story, and she will be sharing it as a member of Thursday’s survivors’ panel.
"I struggled with bulimia for two years in high school and had a rough recovery," Rodgers said. "At first, I sought solidarity from [IMAGE], because no one I'd known in high school could identify with what I'd gone through."
IMAGE Week serves as a way to tell students like Stephanie that they are not alone. Wellness Programs Assistant Director Becky Spires has advised IMAGE since its inception and believes that IMAGE Week truly impacts students.
Spires said, "Students are more open to the issues surrounding body image and Eating Disorders (ED's). More open to discussing them, bringing them out into the open, and working on preventing them."
IMAGE will be opening up the issues with Vandy students each day this week on the Wall. The club is sponsoring a Love Your Genes Clothing Drive. Rodgers encourages students to donate clothing "that is too small or too large that they have been trying to fit into ("goal clothing" or "skinny pants") and to accept themselves at a comfortable, healthy weight." All items will be donated to Goodwill Industries International and benefit underprivileged persons in the Nashville community.
IMAGE encourages all students, not just women, to participate in the clothing drive and week’s other activities. Spires says that eating disorders percentages among men are rising at an incredible rate.
She noted, "Approximately 10% of eating disordered individuals coming to the attention of mental health professionals are male."
Spires also stresses that "a male who obsessively works out, takes supplements and drastically changes [his] eating habits trying to get to the 'perceived' muscle size and definition" is encountering the same issues as "a young woman who obsessively restricts and/or purges to get a particular body type that she 'perceives' is more desirable."
Rodgers agrees. "…though the symptoms of body image issues may sometimes present differently in men, eating disorders are still the mental illness with the highest mortality rate."
The group wishes to reach as many people as possible, including those who do not suffer from body image issues. Spires thinks that attending an event is a great way to show friends that you care.
Rodgers said, "It's very likely that anyone attending our events, male or female, knows someone who is suffering from an eating disorder, even if they are unaware."
For more information on eating disorders, visit http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337
IMAGE Week Schedule
Wednesday 2/20: "Food 101"
@ 6pm in Buttrick 309. A light dinner will be served.
Thursday 2/21: "Surviving Eating Disorders: A Panel Discussion"
@ 7pm in Buttrick 102. Reception to Follow.
***ALL Week***
Love Your Genes Clothing Drive in campus dorms
IMAGE @ The Wall, 11am to 1pm
