New group promotes confidence in women
Laura Redford
junior
The problem is sprawling. Sometimes it's visible, sometimes not. Eating disorders and disordered eating is not only a growing crisis on campus, but throughout our country. We don't need to recognize this as a problem, we have to do something about it.
Having said that, I want to praise the new group, A Life Uncommon, and its founders. I want to thank any woman who was brave enough to walk into the meeting, acknowledging that she has issues with food. I want to encourage any woman who thinks she may be a disordered eater, who has friends that have these issues or just wants to know more to come.
Much of the battle of an eating disorder is personal struggle, yet another equally important part of the healing process is searching for the underlying disorder. We as women share many issues. If we are to save ourselves and our friends, we need to join together and find in us and in our society what it is that is destroying so many intelligent, beautiful and strong women.
A Life Uncommon allows one not only to share their pain but also to find hope in their power and amazing potential.
You may not have an eating disorder. You may think you don't even know anyone with such a problem. That does not mean you should ignore this issue.
So many things we say and do are promoting the backwards thinking of the media. We cannot help but be influenced by the things with which we are surrounded. From Barbie to Seventeen Magazine to Victoria's Secret to Maxim, we are flooded with images of unhealthy and unrealistic women.
Girls, I know personally the daily struggle of looking in the mirror and fighting that negative voice in the back of your mind. I realize that many women have self confidence problems; what I am pleading for is an end to the negative self talk.
Let's discuss our concerns on a real level and affirm ourselves as much as we criticize. Claiming mid-dining hall meal that you are fat in front of your friends does neither yourself nor your friends any good.
Question yourself when you are tempted to talk about some girl you've never even met, when you look through Cosmo, when you're having one of those ugly days. Who decided what was beautiful, what should be considered normal and that skinny was good? Who are we to judge?
Guys, I hope you think about the things you say to your girlfriends and girl friends. You may be joking and we may laugh, but your comments about how wonderful that Playboy model is hit deeper than you think. If you don't want girls to ask you "Do I look fat in this?" you should make sure you are promoting only healthy feminine images.
I am disappointed to say that I know men on this campus who have honestly told one of their female friends (mind you she was tiny) that if she got fat they would no longer be friends with her. I, and many other women I'm sure, have great guy friends that feel the need to constantly joke about our bodies. I trust that these are all in fun but I assure you that after a while they begin to sink in. As women at Notre Dame we are highly intelligent and we resent your underestimation of our value.
Whether eating disorders and negative body image are a part of your daily thoughts or not, I ask that you consider what I have said. Unfortunately, for the rest of my life I will consciously and subconsciously fight the temptation to starve my body.
Don't get me wrong, I love my body. I respect it a lot more than I used to. My point is that we all need to fight this. If we don't we will take on the beliefs of our surroundings without even thinking about whether those beliefs are right or wrong.
We need to fight for our daughters' generation, that they might realize they are not a cup size, a jean size, a weight or a BMI. Let us create a world that teaches girls to celebrate their minds, spirits and beautifully healthy bodies.
Lora Redford
junior
Pasquerilla West Hall
March 28, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, March 30, 2001
