Health Services
Posted Friday, February 26, 2021 @ 2:42 PM
In addition to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders, NEDA Week is a prime opportunity to advance education and outreach regarding body positivity. Through doing so, we strive to be catalysts for prevention and access to quality care. The theme for this year’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, “Every Body Has a Seat At the Table,” coincides perfectly with UCF’s flagship NEDA Week slogan, “UCF Loves Every Body.”
The two drive an important message that is all too easy to forget in the chaotic landscape of our modern culture: every body deserves to be here. Not only does this entail making space for others, but also, it implores us to make space for ourselves.
Both the former and latter prove to be challenging tasks at times, especially for those who are affected by eating disorders. According to the Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report, “approximately 7 in 10 women and girls report a decline in body confidence and increase in beauty and appearance anxiety, which they say is driven by the pressure for perfection from media and advertising’s unrealistic standard of beauty” (Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report). Incidentally, “the average American spends more than 11 hours a day using media” (The Nielsen Company).
At the rate the modern person consumes media, it would seem as though we are constantly measuring ourselves up against unrealistic standards of beauty. However, just as we have the power to subscribe to different beliefs, we have the power to “subscribe” or “unsubscribe” to media outlets or accounts in a literal sense. Body positivity and recovery-related content continues to surface across multiple formats, from film to social media.
Here are a few to start you off and keep you motivated:
Embrace is a social impact documentary that explores the serious issue of body loathing, inspiring us to change the way we feel about ourselves and think about our bodies. Released in 2016, the film is relevant, relatable, highly engaging – but above all life changing.
“The inspiration for Embrace the documentary came about in 2013 after I posted an unconventional before-and-after photo that sparked an international media frenzy. The image, which embraces body diversity, was seen by over 100 million people worldwide and led to hundreds of interviews and articles. But I soon realised how restrictive 4-minute TV interviews, 800-word articles and 140 characters on Twitter can be. This issue needed a louder voice on a bigger platform, so the idea of creating the documentary Embrace was born.” – Taryn Brumfitt, Director of Embrace, Founder of the Body Image Movement
(Source: https://bodyimagemovement.com/embrace/embracethedocumentary/)
Premiering March 23, Demi Lovato holds nothing back in this powerful four part documentary series exploring every aspect that led to her nearly fatal overdose in 2018, and her awakenings in the aftermath. Director Michael D. Ratner is granted unprecedented access to the superstar’s personal and musical journey during the most trying time of her life as she unearths her prior traumas and discovers the importance of her physical, emotional, and mental health. Far deeper than an inside look beyond the celebrity surface, this is an intimate portrait of addiction, and the process of healing and empowerment.
@edrecoveryblog – Eating Disorder Recovery Blog
@beatingeatingdisorders – Beating Eating Disorders
@allianceforeda – Alliance for Eating Disorders
@neda – National Eating Disorder Association
For those seeking help with eating disorders, co-occuring conditions, or other health issues in general, there are resources available to you at UCF on campus. Please feel free to reach out to Student Health Services at 407.823.2701 with any questions or concerns you may have.
