Ifirst noticed her on Monday, a woman in my step aerobics class who was exercising like there was no tomorrow. Every time the class lifted its legs, she kicked hers. When we stepped, she jumped. When we cooled down, she kept going. I saw her again on Wednesday, performing the same spastic movements. I have no doubt she'll be there today.
After aerobics, my friend and I went to dinner. She asked me if I thought it was okay if she had frozen yogurt because we'd already eaten pizza. We were also reminded that eating a fattening dinner probably nullified our attempts at exercise.
Later in the evening, I picked up a woman's magazine which reported that scientists had found a genetic cause for obesity. On the opposite page, a waif-like woman's body bent over thin legs, advertising perfume.
This week I found out that someone I know is recovering from an eating disorder. I also watched another woman, who has recently shed at least 20 pounds, drinking a non-caloric diet soda. I saw myself eat half a cookie when I really wanted a whole one, and feel guilty for eating my first hot fudge sundae of the term. I ate it after 10:00 at night, which I know is bad because then the calories don't get burned up before bedtime.
This is how I spent Body Image Awareness Week. Intermittently, I attended a performance by the Untamed Shrews, and listened to a lecture by Dr. Janet Polivy, co-author of Breaking the Diet Habit.
I should mention that I'm a member of Students Against the Abuse of Food and Exercise (SAFE), the group which tries to educate the campus about eating disorders. Thus, I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about this issue. I know that only about one-third of anorexics completely recover. I know that dieting doesn't usually work and that most people's bodies fight to maintain one set weight. I know that in a 1991 survey, 70 percent of the Dartmouth women who responded admitted that they were preoccupied with the desire to be thinner, and 50 percent often or always think about dieting
I am also aware of how the media distorts images. I know that most women can't look like fashion models, nor should we try to. I know that eating habits at Dartmouth aren't really normal, and that salads and bagels don't constitute a well-rounded diet. Just because I know all these things, however, doesn't mean that I'm immune to their effects.
Despite attempts to raise awareness, I believe that there's more to be done to solve this problem. I was quite cognizant of all the things going on around me during Body Image Awareness week. I observed all the unnecessary worries and disordered eating habits that occur on a college full of perfect looking people. I also watched myself fall victim to some of these behaviors. Rather than merely recognizing these things, however, we need to learn from them. We need to accept how we look and stop trying to mimic some unattainable ideal.
Although we might recognize and acknowledge the body image pressures that we face on this campus, this week taught me that we have yet to overcome them.
