Speaker Leslie Goldman addresses eating disorders

Goldman addressed reasons for self-esteem issues in women.

By Jessica Silverman

Published Feb. 9, 2010

"Locker Room Diaries" author Leslie Goldman spoke Monday night in Ellis Auditorium as the keynote speaker of Love Your Body Week.

Goldman's presentation "Body Image: The Naked Truth," covered eating disorders and the media's portrayal of beauty in today's society.

"Society and the media perpetuate negative body image," Student Health Center Health educator Kim Webb said. "It leads to disordered eating."

Webb said a lot of time during Love Your Body Week is spent on media literacy.

"We talk about photo-shopping and airbrushing and how these images are not real," Webb said.

Goldman said eating disorders have the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric disease.

"These people are not crazy," Goldman said. "It's an actual problem. What you see in the mirror is not what other people see."

Webb, who has been involved with Love Your Body Week for the past five years, said the media endorse an ideal woman who is usually thin and white.

"We really want to promote body diversity in body shape, size and ethnicity and body acceptance," Webb said.

Goldman said people are most vulnerable in times of change.

"It's never about food," Goldman said. "It's about having something else in your life that's so overwhelming."

Goldman suffered from anorexia in college, getting down to 120 pounds in a matter of months. Goldman is 5 feet 11 inches. She said though she has recovered, she still has her bad days.

"You need to step back and look at what else is going on in your life," Goldman said. "It's like alcohol. It's never about the booze. It's about other problems."

Love Your Body Week works to prevent negative body images and eating disorders.

"The week of events are to help gain awareness and learn more," Webb said. "It provides a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the resources available on campus and in the community."

Freshman Stephen Painter said he learned from the presentation.

"I've been in enough bad relationships based on the issues at hand," Painter said. "I have a lot of female relatives that, I don't know why, have issues with their bodies."

Painter said it is strange women listen to what other women think but not men.

"If women are so concerned about whether they're physically attractive, why can't they consult a man about it?" Painter said.

Webb said everyone is exposed to negative body image on a regular basis.

"A study found that after three minutes of looking at a magazine, 70 percent of women felt depressed, guilty and ashamed about their own bodies," Webb said.

Webb said 80 percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearances.

"We can make the choice not to buy or look at the magazines," Webb said. "We can be media-savvy."

Goldman said a way to avoid negative body image is to stop watching television shows or magazines that affect self-esteem.

"If looking at a Victoria's Secret magazine makes you feel fat, call them up and ask them to stop sending you the magazine," Goldman said.

Webb said after the week, there is an increased interest in the subject and an increase in participation in events.

"We definitely see an increased interest in wanting to know more and be involved," Webb said.

Other events throughout the week include a resource fair, a movie showing and a presentation hosted by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning community.