Everyone remembers health class with the quiet giggles and long stares of teachers discussing uncomfortable subjects. The subject of one’s physical “body” was always the focus of the class, with diagrams of the same generic body type displayed over and over again. However, today society is coming to realize that the human body is a wildly diverse thing.
That will be the focus of this upcoming week as the UW Counseling Center (UCC) showcases events for their Body Image Awareness Week. Events start on Feb. 27 with “Looking Through the Lens – How Media Portrays Body Type” sponsored by Real Women, Real Bodies at 12-12:50 p.m. and ending on March 3 with events like “Body Images – Interactive Art Showing” by Christie Sandvik at 10-10:50 a.m. and even a yoga session about empowerment and healing at 12-1:30 p.m.
“There’s a spectrum of where you’re going to fall [on the body image scale] so it’s going to range from having no concern for what your body looks like all the way to the risk of an eating disorder,” Kylie Boardman, an intern at the UCC, said.
Boardman will be doing her own presentation called “Handle with Care: Shedding Light on Eating Disorders” that will run on March 1 at 11-11:50 p.m. Her coworker Matia Wilson said that when it comes to work, body image is Boardman’s main interest.
“Everyone has insecurities and issues about their own bodies,” Wilson, another intern at the UCC, currently getting her masters in social work, said. “Your overall self-worth and appearance tends to tie very closely with body image and how you view yourself.”
The week dedicated to body image is an annual event at UW, happening every fall. Wilson and Boardman said that the UCC has been working on the schedule of events since September of 2016, so they are very excited to raise new awareness on campus and the community at large.
Wilson and Boardman said they were very excited for Dr. Kyle De Young and Alexandra Thiel’s presentation “Binge Eating: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to do About it,” which is also set for Monday at 12-12:50 p.m. right after Boardman’s talk.
Both Young and Thiel are new to the university and are working in the Psychology Department. Young just started an eating disorder clinic on campus and is looking forward to presenting a talk on binge eating.
“Binge eating is commonly misunderstood,” Young. “I’m excited to be hearing from people about their idea on what Binge eating is.”
Young and Thiel would like to focus on binge eating being more of an unhealthy behavior rather than a disorder but that it is not to be mistaken for simply overeating. They will be presenting data from a more gender neutral perspective, understanding that it is not just women who are the focus.
Other speakers will also be taking into perspective both genders positive body image. Christie Sandvik, an artist from Rapid City, South Dakota will be presenting her pieces on body image on both Thursday and Friday during the week.
According to her website, Sandvik encourages viewers of her work to contribute to it, “Participants can write the things that they love about their bodies and their insecurities as well. The paintings show that we are not alone in our insecurities, and that insecurities come in all areas, in different people.”
Another speaker who will be presenting for the week is Kierstan Mills, a personal trainer and owner of FearfullyMadeFIT. Her talk will focus on working toward healthier bodies instead of programs that lead people into unhealthy habits.
Sponsors of the event include UCC, Wellness Center, Dynamic Design, Student Media, University of Wyoming Department of Psychology & Psychology Clinic, Read Women Real Bodies, Nontraditional & Gender Programs, Chi Sigma Lota and Division of Social Work.
There will be lunch provided at events on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The whole community is invited to attend any and all events, schedules can be found around campus.
“This week’s list of events is better than we could have imagined,” Wilson said.
