From fro-yo jokes to the overwhelming popularity of elliptical machines, it's apparent that body image matters to the Duke community.
But with spring break less than a week away--and with it the temptation to look as good as possible in that new bathing suit--the issue seems to be on everybody's mind.
A series of programs last week during "Celebrating Our Bodies Week," however, asked the question, 'Are those concerns healthy?'
Eating disorders specialists and undergraduates have long cautioned that the Duke environment may create a risky atmosphere for eating disorders, compulsive exercising and an overall negative self-perception.
"We breed eating disorders and negative body images here at Duke," said Stacie McEntyre, a CAPS psychologist specializing in eating disorders. "The greek system, academic pressures and the overall competitive nature of the University creates a lot of stress, and to cope with such pressures, people use food."
Such concerns appear to cross gender and racial lines--for every guy munching down pizza, Doritos and Mountain Dew, there is a growing cadre of men increasingly counting calories, sipping Diet Coke and working toward a perfect body image at the gym. McEntyre said that contrary to conventional wisdom, eating disorders affect a wider demographic than just rich, white women.
"I have noticed that among my guy friends here at Duke, they are much more preoccupied now with watching what they eat than they were freshman year," said junior Tiffany Milner.
Yet, McEntyre cautioned that fewer males may seek treatment than women because of the stigma attached to the words "eating disorder."
"Here at Duke, I think we males also feed into the body pressures, but it may be muscle dysmorphia. It's this need to get bigger. At one point I also felt the pressure, but I never knew what my goal was," said senior Will Melendez.
Dan Broderick said among Duke's competitive student body, intellectual prowess is matched with the physical.
"Looking successful is perceived as part of being successful. Your success at Duke is mediated by how well you compete with your peers--I think controlling your body is a form of competition," said Broderick, a senior.
Senior J.C. Chiu said the social scene in particular was the prime incubus for unhealthy pressures for body image. "The social scene at Duke is based on greek life, where there is an exploitation of women in that they are not good enough unless they are a size two," he said. "Sadly, I think the sororities reinforce this body ideal more so than the frats."
Sophomore Kristina Goff, a member of Education Support to Eliminate Eating Misconceptions, said she believes the Duke environment also reinforces eating problems and negative body images for people already at risk. She said that many students at Duke--men and women--are perfectionists and direct those tendencies toward disordered eating and obsessive exercising.
In order to raise awareness, ESTEEM, CAPS and Student Health carried out a week- long program promoting positive body image last week. "Celebrating Our Bodies Week," a campaign in its 10th year, corresponds with a national event sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Campaign. The Duke program has sponsored forums, workshops, speakers and activities addressing the theme.
Becky Griesse, a Duke health education specialist, has done this program for the last three years. "The aim of 'Celebrating our Bodies Week' is to promote a positive atmosphere here on campus in regards to self-image and self-esteem. Each year our program grows and we try to hit each group on campus by making it fun and interactive," she said.
Senior Mausumi Syamal thought the concept had some shortcomings. "Someone suffering from an eating disorder will not just wake up during 'Celebrating our Bodies Week' and decide to announce that they need help. It doesn't work that way," she said.
Nevertheless, the groups hope to follow-up with a poster project this spring.
"We are hoping that students will be able to relate to the message if they feel that they can connect with the person in the poster," Griesse said.
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