Young Women Speak Out About Body Image on College Campuses

I had the privilege of talking with three college women who attend SUNY Fredonia College in New York State. Topic: Spotlighting female body image on college campuses.

I spoke with:

• Corri, 21, junior, music education major, New York State pageant contestant

• Rachel, 19, sophomore, public relations major

• Ashley, 20, sophomore, psychology major, minor in public health

Q: Do you find that body image anxiety tends to heighten in March and then takes us throughout the spring and summer?

Rachel: Yes, definitely. When I'm at the campus gym, I see more girls running on the treadmill extra hard trying to lose weight for bikini season. My friend recently tried on a bathing suit at Wal-Mart and said, "OK, I have to lose five more pounds and then I'll look good in that."

Q: What do you think makes a person beautiful?

Corri: Being comfortable in your own skin is the highest form of beauty you can reach, and not caring what other people think. I wish I could be more like that, and I try to be more like that, but it's hard.

Q: When do you feel the most beautiful?

Corri: I used to think I felt the most beautiful when I was all dressed up, like in my evening gown and I had all my makeup on and my outfit fit me really well. Then my boyfriend, sometimes he just looks at me and says, "You're so beautiful." I don't have any makeup on and I'm wearing sweatpants. I look hideous but he says, "No you really are just beautiful and I don't think you know how many people see that in you." I don't really think about "Am I pretty enough" because I know I'm with somebody who thinks I'm beautiful no matter what. That has helped me come to terms with who I am.

Q: Have you or any of your friends ever bonded through body bashing sessions?

Ashley: Oh god yeah. We all bond through body bashing. It's definitely not healthy but every female has done it at some point. It's like bringing humor to a situation: "Yeah, I'm this way, but at least we're both this way." When people have low self-esteem and they want to see what other people think of them, they'll say, "Oh, I look like crap in this bathing suit, my hips are so big, my thighs." Then the friend doesn't want the other one to feel bad so they'll be like, "Oh I know, my thighs too."

Q: If a college woman has a positive body image and tells her friends that she does, would that be helpful or come across as conceited?

Ashley: I think most of the time it would come across as that girl has a really big ego and she shouldn't be so confident because even if she is beautiful, she should be humble about it. When you look good, you have to hide that you think you look good. I know this is horrible what I'm saying, but I believe it.

Q: How do you think we can get students to view nutrition and exercise as a way to be healthy and not just to look good in our jeans or our swimsuits?

Corri: I think the media has such a hold on what we think is beautiful. It will be difficult to get people to see that they want to be healthy to be healthy, and not just to look good. Both of these things drive me to work out and eat nutritious foods. Since I've been working out everyday for the pageant, I find that I sleep better, have more energy, better relationships with people, focus better for my classes, and I look better in my jeans, but that's just a bonus. Once people see how much better they feel maybe they'll focus on that more and less on how they look.

Q: Have you ever let your number on a scale affect your health or your self worth?

Rachel: I used to give up lunches and I was bulimic all throughout high school. If I had to eat because I was at a restaurant and it would look sketchy if I didn't, I would end up throwing it up. For a while I didn't do it because there were security guards around campus and they would hear me if I threw up. I stopped for a while, but then started back up during prom season. My friends and I were all like, "Let's not eat for a little bit."

Q: How did you begin to deal with your eating disorder and ultimately heal?

Rachel: My friend helped me. A guy I liked stopped returning my affection, and I blamed it on my weight. I was like, "Why? Am I too fat? I'm trying so hard not to be too fat for you." One of my male friends sat me down and talked to me that night and he really helped me.

Q: Would you agree that self-love is your greatest ticket to success in life?

Rachel: Yes, you can't have anyone love and appreciate you if you can't love and appreciate yourself.

Q: What advice would you have to a college woman who's struggling with body image and self-worth?

Corri: Find an asset that you really like and enjoy. Accentuate it. Everyone is beautiful. The hardest part is finding that and seeing that.

***** 

Maria Pascucci is the Founder and President of Campus Calm – the award-winning online-community for today’s stressed-out students, and their parents and educators: www.campuscalm.com. Maria is also the President of The International Campus Calm University Association: www.campuscalmu.com.

delicious

digg

technorati

Email this page