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Richmond body image

Published: April 2, 2009, 4:00 pm ET
By Kate Scrimale
Westhampton College '09

To the university administration, what are you waiting for? There is a situation at the gym that should have been addressed weeks, if not months, ago: a person clearly and significantly below a healthy bodyweight, excessively exercising, day after day. The fact that her attire directly violates the Weinstein Center dress code only exacerbates the situation.

I know I speak for more than just myself when I say that this situation is deeply upsetting to witness. Is this going to be yet another example of the university community waiting far too long to take action? I certainly hope not, particularly because this situation has the potential to generate an invaluable amount of learning, if addressed in a sensitive and proper manner.

The University of Richmond, not unlike other institutions, suffers from the silent threat of body image issues. Whether it is eating disorders, exercise addictions or the debilitating effects of negative self-perception, this concern is real and pervasive on our campus. Why then, do we continue to display, and I argue, enable, this issue at our gym – a gym meant for use by nearly 3,000 young women and men?

Last night I entered the Weinstein Center during its peak hours. Students, peers and friends of mine were working out on every elliptical and nearly every treadmill. Their discomfort was visible, even tangible, and it broke my heart to see so many stricken faces attempt to exercise in what was an uncomfortable, unsafe environment.

University administration – by allowing this to go on, what message are you sending us? Are you saying that this is OK? That this is healthy? Are you asserting this issue should be ignored? Are you telling young women and men that this issue should NOT be talked about? That it is something shameful, only to be whispered about in secret, and that we should simply avert our eyes?

By not responding, are you telling me that I should not be affected? Are you telling women and men currently recovering from, or on the brink of developing body image issues, that their well-being is not important to you?

Because thus far, that is the message you have sent us. You have told us that rules and regulations come before the mental health of my peers and myself. You have said that it is not your responsibility to handle this situation, that it must be someone else’s. You have said it is a Human Resources issue and it is out of your control.

You ducking from your responsibility is an all-too familiar theme of my four years at Richmond, and I have resigned myself to the disappointing belief that this situation will simply be added to the list of times you remained quiet on an important issue and failed to act, at least until it was too late.

It speaks for itself that I debated long and hard about writing this article because I feared I would be perceived as insensitive, or worse, that I would be inadvertently offensive. But the fear of talking about sensitive subjects is a factor I believe only allows this situation to persist.

I discussed it with many of my close friends, including those who have suffered from eating disorders, and we came to the conclusion that this is not unlike any other HR concern. If alcohol or drugs were the issue, surely an intervention would already have been staged.

Now I ask you – what exactly are you waiting for? I’m not advocating for the administration to have complete control over the choices we make or how we live our lives. But the fact is, we are a private institution governed by specific guidelines designed to protect students and faculty and to create a healthy environment.

If you are concerned for the well-being of your students and faculty and for this person, you will take action. You will take action that demonstrates that you care about me, that you care about all of your students and, more importantly, that you care about this person. At the very least, please enforce the dress code.

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  • Offer respect

    I have seen the woman. You are incorrect; she was wearing proper attire. If she chooses to appear as a victim of starvation, it is her choice to do so. Why is it that you find her so disgusting?

  • Bill

    I have seen the woman as well. Regardless of attire, something definitely should be said about her apparent health or lack thereof. As for the administration, I can’t help but feel the constant promotion of the Weinstein Center, coupled with the signs all over d-hall encouraging you to eat less are contributing to this. Perhaps it’s time to stop thinking about how your college appears in the rankings (ala “healthiest campus”) and start thinking about the actual well-being of the students who pay ridiculous amounts of money to come here.

  • Michael

    People in America are both the richest and some of the poorest in the world. In the same way, we are both the fattest and the skinniest people in the world. Obesity is a far more pressing health concern than anorexia (though eating disorders are certainly not to be discounted) so DHall is more than justified in their decision to encourage less eating.

  • Dee Dee

    While I understand the concern expressed in this article, is it really anyone’s place to post this girl’s life in the paper? If you were really concerned, you’d go up to her quietly and discreetly.

    Body image is a huge issue on our campus, so I definitely commend you on being one of the few to discuss it… maybe it was unnecessary to point out a specific person. Consider her feelings next time, but absolutely keep up with the cause.

  • John

    Kate,

    Who do you think you are telling someone else that they look bad? You are not a healthcare professional, so it is inappropiate on your behalf to judge other people’s health based on uninformed observations.

    Certainly, we could find someone who considers you too unfit or overweight to be in the Weinstein Center. Perhaps you have jealsously issues and this is your way of expressing them. So, if you do not like her… DO NOT LOOK AT HER!

    Sincerely,
    John H.

  • Dan

    It is awful, it is not appropriate attire (in response to the first person) and the appearance of this woman is even more offensive than the music selection. If not for the well being of this member of our university, can someone at least speak with her about covering up her clearly anemic body. In all seriousness, can someone help her?

  • Brutus

    You should have written this article anonymously, first of all.

    Second of all, that woman working herself to death is tragic, but what can we do?

    Write articles in the Collegian about it….? I’m not sure how public shaming will solve this.

  • Alex

    I agree with Dee Dee and John H. If you were really concerned, blasting this girl in the school paper doesn’t seem right. You’ve obviously seen her, and know who she is, so why don’t you just go talk to her? If you’re so passionate about the issue and her health, go directly to her instead of shaming her before the whole campus. And who are you to evaluate her health? Like John said, I doubt you’re a healthcare professional.