Throwing Away the Scales…Enhancing Body Image
There are so many people around the world that worry about how much they weigh. People’s perception of what is attractive has been distorted by images in magazines, television and movies. The Aubie AED (Auburn University Body Image Education and Eating Disorders Awareness), is hoping to change the way people see themselves with a week long event.
Through the week of Nov. 5-11, Aubie AED is hosting “Throw Away the Scales.” This action is to support students and staff to not be self-conscious on how much a person weighs. The organization focuses on that no one should check their weight as frequently as some do unless they are in the presence of a medical professional. As well as promoting throwing away of scales, Aubie AED will also provide information to people on the correct way to use a scale and why a personal scale should be thrown away.
Aubie AED will provide specific trashcans for people to dispose of their scales at different locations. The trashcans will be located at Foy Student Union, the Burton Hall mail room, the Quad Center mail room and certain sorority chapter rooms. Every scale Aubie AED receives, a local business will be give a pledge to the organization. The scales will also be donated to the Red Cross and other organizations. The organization’s main goal is to promote better awareness and understanding of body image issues and eating disorders on campus as well as the Auburn community.
As well as throwing away the scales, Aubie AED is also promoting another event that focuses on sororities on Auburn’s campus. The program is called the Sorority Body Image Program. Although the title is simplistic, it gets the point across. Aubie AED is not saying that sororities are to blame when girls feel bad about their body image, but sororities have a high focal point for sisterhood and they are a strong unified group of young women. As of right now, there are four sororities that will go through a trial of the program. Aubie AED’s main goal is to have all 16 Panhellenic sororities as well as the three National Pan-Hellenic sororities active by the year 2009/2010.
As sad and hard as it is to discuss about body image and eating disorders, it is a hot topic for college girls and college men. Being proactive by throwing away the scales is a small action, but it is an action that can improve a person’s confidence and attitude about oneself which many people seem to lose when time goes by.
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