You are free to love your body
Barbara Cordes
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: News
Afterward, Cavicchia added, "There are so many women that want to look like the models they see in ads. Women need to understand there is no such thing as a flawless model. They are all touched up and airbrushed. The media has us believe we need to be a size two or four and weigh 100 pounds. The actual average clothes size for women is a 14 and about 160 pounds."
Walton returned to the stage to express her feelings on the issue.
"You can be any size you want to be as long as it makes you happy, but it doesn't make it alright for you to be obese. It is important to live a healthy lifestyle. Someone who is obese needs to eat healthily so they don't develop high cholesterol, high blood pressure or any other health-related problems."
Fallon Flowers, Women's Health Outreach coordinator, came up next to share her personal story about her battle with her own body image.
"As we all know, everyone has body parts they wish they could change. I, myself, have had issues with my long arms and tall, skinny body ... being a part of the black community, I was told I needed to put some 'meat on my bones.' I was even called a 'monkey' because of my long arms."
Flowers said she no longer has any problems with either of these issues. She now stands up for herself when compared to the thicker, heavier girls, and whenever someone needs to reach a high shelf, they come to her for help.
"When I was younger, I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I was told I was too tall and my arms were too long. I proved everyone wrong, and now look what I can do," said Flowers as she danced across the stage.
Flowers added she now understands that it is OK to look the way she does and she loves her body.
Rose Bell, senior African-American studies major and student assistant at the Women's Center, shared with everyone her view about women needing to stop comparing themselves to each other.
"I know that all women compare themselves to each other. What every person needs to realize is that he (or) she is unique. If someone doesn't have a beautiful smile or perfect hair, it doesn't matter. We all have our faults. If your boyfriend thinks you need to look like Beyonce, tell him to go be with Beyonce. You don't need to change your looks for someone else. If, for some reason, you feel you need to change, do it because you want to do it, not because someone else wants you to," Bell said.
Cavicchia summed up the whole purpose of the event by reminding all of the women there, "Be who you are and love who you are."
Walton returned to the stage to express her feelings on the issue.
"You can be any size you want to be as long as it makes you happy, but it doesn't make it alright for you to be obese. It is important to live a healthy lifestyle. Someone who is obese needs to eat healthily so they don't develop high cholesterol, high blood pressure or any other health-related problems."
Fallon Flowers, Women's Health Outreach coordinator, came up next to share her personal story about her battle with her own body image.
"As we all know, everyone has body parts they wish they could change. I, myself, have had issues with my long arms and tall, skinny body ... being a part of the black community, I was told I needed to put some 'meat on my bones.' I was even called a 'monkey' because of my long arms."
Flowers said she no longer has any problems with either of these issues. She now stands up for herself when compared to the thicker, heavier girls, and whenever someone needs to reach a high shelf, they come to her for help.
"When I was younger, I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I was told I was too tall and my arms were too long. I proved everyone wrong, and now look what I can do," said Flowers as she danced across the stage.
Flowers added she now understands that it is OK to look the way she does and she loves her body.
Rose Bell, senior African-American studies major and student assistant at the Women's Center, shared with everyone her view about women needing to stop comparing themselves to each other.
"I know that all women compare themselves to each other. What every person needs to realize is that he (or) she is unique. If someone doesn't have a beautiful smile or perfect hair, it doesn't matter. We all have our faults. If your boyfriend thinks you need to look like Beyonce, tell him to go be with Beyonce. You don't need to change your looks for someone else. If, for some reason, you feel you need to change, do it because you want to do it, not because someone else wants you to," Bell said.
Cavicchia summed up the whole purpose of the event by reminding all of the women there, "Be who you are and love who you are."
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