TO THE EDITOR:
The intentions behind the body-positive images circulating this week to promote eating disorder awareness are noble. However, many of the images themselves perpetuate attitudes toward bodies that make people, especially women, vulnerable to negative body image and disordered eating habits.
The cultivation of body-positive attitudes is not sufficient to lessen the prevalence of eating disorders, which are frequently underpinned by a desire for control that manifests itself as a preoccupation with one’s body. We should take the conversation about eating disorders further — why do we often conflate a body’s beauty with its worth? Instead, let’s interrogate our daily experiences of unwanted sexualization and body monitoring.
Sarah-Kathryn Bryan ’15
Women’s Studies
Comparative Literature
