In the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the most sought-after model. Monroe was not 6 feet tall nor was she a size zero like some of today's models, and yet back then some thought she had the body of a goddess. Today though, size eight is considered plus-size. And although size eight is actually medium, many women are striving to look like runway models, becoming unhealthily thin in the process.
According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 0.5 percent to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia in their lifetimes. It has been estimated that the mortality rate among people with anorexia is 5.6 percent per decade.
As the numbers have increased so has the awareness of such negative self body image. Events such as the Perfect Illusions candlelight vigil and the new program SOS, short for Source of Sanity, are aimed at helping women strive towards positive body image, not the infamous '90s "heroin chic."
In addition to raising awareness, the third annual Perfect Illusions candlelight vigil was held Thursday, Nov. 2 to provide comfort for those who have struggled with eating disorders. Sponsored by UVA Center for Addiction Research and Education and Hoos Open to Preventing Eating Disorders, statistics are not meant to be the basis of the vigil, according to second-year College student Sarah Siodmok, who was responsible for organizing the event. Instead, people from the audience come up and share with others the experiences they have had with eating disorders.
Siodmok, an intern for UVA CARES and vice president of HOPE, began the night with a few words.
"Everyone's story is unique and has the potential to be inspiration," Siodmok said.
She then introduced Jaime Ducharme, a 1999 alumna of the University and a current psychology intern at Counseling and Psychological Services, as the emcee for the evening. Ducharme spoke a few words and proceeded to present some statistics to the audience.
"One in four of the general population meets criteria for bulimia; one in three meet criteria for anorexia," Ducharme said. "Sixty percent of college-aged women score positive for symptoms of an eating disorder. Ninety-five percent of people with an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 and 25."
Ducharme also added that the stereotypes associated with having an eating disorder are no longer true as eating disorders are no longer a problem among women only.
"Ten percent of individuals seeking counseling now are men struggling with an eating disorder," Ducharme said.
After these introductions the floor was left open to anyone who wished to speak. Several women approached the podium to share their stories. Throughout the night some discussed the harmful physical effects of eating disorders, others the mental aspects associated with negative self body image. Advice was shared on how to help someone struggling with an eating disorder, how to love oneself and the perfect illusions that seem to surround us everywhere.
First-year College student Lindsey Lawrence shared her story of her two-and-a-half-year battle with an eating disorder.
"Unfortunately, these so-called perfect illusions possess extreme power: the power to destroy one's sense of self-esteem often subsequently causing eating disorders and even death," Lawrence said. "No matter how flawless and ideal, they're merely figments of our imagination."
First-year College student Meredith Dyer, who struggled with anorexia her senior year of high school, spoke of how one fails to realize he or she is sick.
"I never would have thought that I had an eating disorder," Dyer said. "On the contrary, I thought I was being healthy -- I started exercising and that was great until ... I was cutting things out of my diet and my exercise was increasing. How do you get to that point and not realize it? Because I had no idea."
Dyer left the audience with two pieces of advice.
"You're not going to know if you have an eating disorder: the blinds are on," she said. "Finally, just love yourself ... love all those things that make you you."
Afterward, CAPS counselors were standing in the front for anyone who wished to speak with them.
But there's more out there for those struggling. SOS is a new program that strives to teach women to "think bigger" as stated on their Web site.
Mary Adkins said she began conceiving the idea of SOS as an undergraduate at Duke University.
"When I was having a hard time myself I started to look for a resource to recovery for help ... that I could actually relate to," Adkins said. "I had a hard time finding anything that was hopeful. Most of the messages that I found ... were pessimistic ... which wasn't what I was looking for."
SOS's mission is to change the culture of obsession with body image among women.
"What it really focuses on is the dialogue between the two voices in the person's head," Adkins said. "Often people who have eating issues describe a little voice or monster in their head encouraging them to behave destructively."
Within SOS are several recovery programs such as the One-day workshop and the Balance workshop. The One-day workshop is designed for those seeking recovery, whereas the balance workshop teaches techniques on how to behave healthily towards food and exercise.
SOS will be coming to Charlottesville in December.
"Eating disorders are rampant; I think most people would agree that at least for women our icons for beauty, as in supermodels mainly, are unhealthily thin," Adkins said.
Programs and events such as these aim to help those struggling with negative self-body image and wish to teach that Hollywood starlets are not what we should strive towards. Rather they convey the message of "love yourself."
"Strive to embrace the person who guides your conscience, chases your dreams and smiles back at you in the mirror," Lawrence said.
And for the record, Monroe wore size eight pants.
Read More
U.Va. students and physicians team up for another year of free kidney screenings
By Merrill Hart | November 5, 2024Saturday’s screening marked the first by KDSAP at Portico Church, near IX Art Park.
U.Va. Health sees a spike in COVID-19 cases
By Emily Horn | September 4, 2023U.Va. Health ended their vaccination requirements in August, and masks were made optional in most hospital areas in early April.
U.Va. Cancer Center harnesses $12 million grant to support opportunities for undergraduates, ongoing research and new center
By Ellen Wu | January 12, 2023The grant provides an opportunity to establish the Center for Systems Analysis of Stress-Adapted Cancer Organelles, which seeks to find the cause of cancer in individual organelles.
