Obesity has rightfully gained the national spotlight for its serious ramifications on
the health of more and more
EDAW
Students (left to right) Julie Wako, Kait Galambos, Stephanie Leconey, and Victoria
DiNento join psychologist Charlotte Markey (far right) in a campus campaign to see a
positive reflection of oneself.
Americans each year. But those suffering with other eating disorders, which may not be
as physically apparent, shouldn’t be left in the shadows. A team of Rutgers–Camden
students, led by eating behavior expert Charlotte Markey, is leaving no chance for
negative thoughts about appearance this week as a handful of positive quotes will be
temporarily etched on the mirrors of women and men’s bathrooms across campus. Called
“Positive Reflections,” the campaign is designed to raise awareness during Eating
Disorders Awareness Week, Feb. 20-26.
Markey, an associate professor of psychology, runs the Healthy Development Lab at
Rutgers–Camden. Her research has revealed links between parents’ weight concerns and
weight gain among kids; how spouses’ eating impacts one another; and most recently,
how lesbian couples contribute to each other’s well-being. She’s also found that men
aren’t nearly as critical of women’s bodies as women are of their own as well as the
chilling impact of reality television on one’s desires for plastic surgery.
“Everyone deals with expectations of health and beauty. As obesity has gained national
support, we should also be mindful of healthy ways to diet. Research now shows that
when people try to diet, it can backfire and predict obesity or other eating disorders,
” says Markey. “The focus should be on eating healthy and just feeling good about
ourselves.”
Rutgers–Camden undergraduates Caitlin Ellis and Stephanie Leconey serve as research
assistants in Markey’s Healthy Development Lab. The two were part of a student effort
to identify 10 reflections for temporary display on the mirrors. Examples include,
“Beauty comes as much from the mind as the eye,” “Everybody is unique. Compare not
yourself with anybody else,” and “Our body is a vehicle for awakening. Treat it with
care.” Ellis, who has worked with Markey for the past three semesters, says she hopes
fellow students will gain awareness about the prevalence and severity of eating
disorders. “I believe that although eating disorders can be as dangerous and life
threatening as drug and alcohol addiction, but with the right information, resources,
and treatment, eating disorders can have a high rate of success in recovery,” offers
Ellis, who will present with Markey in March at the annual Women in Psychology
conference in Philadelphia.
Victoria
Victoria DiNento helps put out a positive message to fellow students.
In addition, Markey and students will be blanketing the campus with flyers explaining
the campaign, offering resources for treatment, and listing some haunting facts about
eating disorders. Leconey, who assists Markey with the lesbian couples study and other
research projects, thought other students would be surprised that 10 million females
and one million males are struggling with an eating disorder. “I hope [this campaign]
will promote acceptance of students’ own bodies as well as increase awareness that
these disorders are not just exclusive to women, but that men also suffer from eating
disorders,” Leconey remarks. These staggering numbers are why the men’s rooms will
also feature the affirmations.
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