Spring Break
Student Health Services and Women's Center collaborate to promote a healthier Husky
Margaret Munson
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Focus
Have you ever felt as though your body was imperfect? Maybe your thighs are just a little too plump or your arms look fat in tank tops.
According to Kathy Fischer, the associate director of the Women's Center, "both men and women often feel the pressure to achieve a perfection in themselves that simply does not exist."
Fischer commented on the images portrayed by magazines and T.V. where people are airbrushed and digitally manipulated to have the "perfect body." She believes that people often use dieting and make bad eating choices in order to alter their natural bodies and achieve the unachievable perfection portrayed to us through advertising.
Trying to encourage people to accept themselves physically and avoid fad diets, Fischer worked with Student Health Services to get Jessica Dauz, a 4th-semester graduate student with an undergrad degree in allied health and a registered dietician, to give a lecture on the issues promoted by fad dieting.
Upon speaking with Dauz on her history with fad dieting, she said she has given lectures on wellness, body image and eating disorders at residence halls, centers and first year experience classes. Dauz said she hopes that her lectures have had an impact, and she often had students come to her after a lecture where they can participate in one of her private counseling sessions on dieting or even simply insecurities with their bodies.
Fad dieting was a new perspective for Dauz; however, she believes that it is important to have lectures like this in order to get educated on how to make healthy decisions, when the world is portraying such false advertising and easy fixes. She said that because our culture is so fast-paced, that is why men and women are looking for the easy way out.
The "quick fix" idea brings results and people want results because otherwise all their work is for naught.
Dauz had many pamphlets at the lecture that included tips for healthy snacking, how to be a "Healthy Husky" and eat healthy in college and steps to be more nutritious.
According to Kathy Fischer, the associate director of the Women's Center, "both men and women often feel the pressure to achieve a perfection in themselves that simply does not exist."
Fischer commented on the images portrayed by magazines and T.V. where people are airbrushed and digitally manipulated to have the "perfect body." She believes that people often use dieting and make bad eating choices in order to alter their natural bodies and achieve the unachievable perfection portrayed to us through advertising.
Trying to encourage people to accept themselves physically and avoid fad diets, Fischer worked with Student Health Services to get Jessica Dauz, a 4th-semester graduate student with an undergrad degree in allied health and a registered dietician, to give a lecture on the issues promoted by fad dieting.
Upon speaking with Dauz on her history with fad dieting, she said she has given lectures on wellness, body image and eating disorders at residence halls, centers and first year experience classes. Dauz said she hopes that her lectures have had an impact, and she often had students come to her after a lecture where they can participate in one of her private counseling sessions on dieting or even simply insecurities with their bodies.
Fad dieting was a new perspective for Dauz; however, she believes that it is important to have lectures like this in order to get educated on how to make healthy decisions, when the world is portraying such false advertising and easy fixes. She said that because our culture is so fast-paced, that is why men and women are looking for the easy way out.
The "quick fix" idea brings results and people want results because otherwise all their work is for naught.
Dauz had many pamphlets at the lecture that included tips for healthy snacking, how to be a "Healthy Husky" and eat healthy in college and steps to be more nutritious.
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