Barbie and Ken stood on display at Gregory Gym Plaza Monday to show students how mainstream media and pop culture influence an unrealistic body image for men and women.

National Love Your Body Week kicked off its first event by displaying life-size versions of the toy dolls with the purpose of encouraging students to think critically about and challenge the “ideal body image” portrayed in the media, said Susan Hochman, University Health Services manager. Love Your Body Week consists of daily planned events focusing on helping students discover what a healthy and positive body image consists of.

Barbie and Ken made their appearance at the “Love Your Genes” campaign, the first event of the week, which encouraged students to donate “skinny jeans” they have lying around that might represent an unrealistic ideal for their body type. The campaign will continue taking jeans donations at Gregory Gym Plaza today and Wednesday and in the West Mall on Thursday and Friday.

During the events, UHS nutrition peer educators will be distributing positive messages about ways to love your body at workshops Wednesday and Thursday, Hochman said.

“The peer educators will address the influences that shape body image, the cost of poor body image and methods for overcoming negative body image,” she said.

Love Your Body Week coincides with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which is an opportunity to bring light to the eating disorder issue on campus, said nutrition senior Megan Destefano, a UHS nutrition peer educator.

“We want people to accept their bodies and realize it’s okay to be who you are and how you were made,” Destefano said. “We want people to understand that bodies come in different shapes and sizes and that’s perfectly fine.”

Hochman said Love Your Body Week is also an opportunity to promote the campus resources and services at UHS that are available to students who may be struggling with poor body image or who are concerned about a friend.

Nutrition senior Samantha Partida, president of the Nutrition and Wellness Association, said Love Your Body Week is an opportunity to raise health awareness.

“Most people don’t know when they’re treating their body poorly or when they aren’t taking the right approach [to becoming healthier],” Partida said. “It’s really more about being healthy and accepting who you are first before you make any changes.”

Hochman said UHS and RecSports also teamed up to offer free TeXercise and Cycling classes throughout the week to promote the joyful movement initiative.

“We want to encourage students to engage in physical activity for reasons of having fun or staying healthy rather than attempting to achieve an unrealistic body image,” Hochman said.

Nutrition senior Victoria Carrasco, a UHS nutrition peer educator, supervised the free group cycling class Monday at the Recreational Sports Center.

“A lot of people think exercise can be boring, depending on what you do, so we want to help students find something that they like to do and help them keep up the healthy behavior,” Carrasco said.

Printed on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 as: Love Your Body hosts jean drive, free classes