A Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall. If she were real person, she would be 5 feet 9 inches tall, given a one-sixth scale.
Her chest would be 36 inches, her waist would be 18 inches, and her hips would be 33 inches.
These ideals are hard to achieve, and the reason why some people suffer from eating disorders, said Emily Estes, senior dietetics major. And it is the reason why Eating Disorder Education and Prevention, or EDEP, took part in “Love Your Body Day” yesterday and will be holding the exhibit “Room With a View” next week.
Yesterday was national “Love Your Body Day,” and to mark the event, EDEP organized a booth at the Campus Recreation Center, gave out cards with general information about eating disorders and held a “Where’s Barbie” contest where students could look for a Barbie mannequin in the Rec Center and receive prizes once they found it.
“Barbie portrays ideals that individuals try to achieve, but it’s unrealistic,” Estes said.
The Barbie mannequin is marked with red tape to highlight areas of the body commonly pinpointed for plastic surgery to go along with the theme of national “Love Your Body Day,” which is “It’s Time to Talk About It.”
Estes pointed out a story in the front page of the Omaha World-Herald about a Wayne State College student who died in her dorm room from anorexia.
“It is time to talk about it,” Estes said. “It’s causing huge issues, and we want to provide resources.”
Next week, EDEP will be showing the exhibit “Room With a View” at the Rotunda Gallery in the Nebraska Union, which shows the evolution of an eating disorder. The exhibit will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDEP teamed with SHINE (Students Helping Individuals Nurture Esteem) and GPPA (Greeks Promoting Positive Attitudes) to show the exhibit.
The exhibit is shown every year, but more things are being added to the exhibit this year, according to Elizabeth Grimes, EDEP member and sophomore psychology major.
“I think eating disorders have a huge stigma against them,” Grimes said. “This raises awareness of the issue.”
The exhibit will feature the four stages of an eating disorder, with four different sections of images and atmosphere. The first is images, when the person with an eating disorder first starts having body image issues. The second is when the person is getting into the cycle of an eating disorder, and the third is despair, which has narration and images from those who have experienced an eating disorder.
The fourth, and final section, is hope, which is what EDEP hopes to provide throughout the year. The group meets every other Wednesday. Everyone is welcome, Grimes said, and the group is for awareness, not therapy.
“We want to get the message out to people that this is a true issue,” Estes said. “It’s time to talk about it.”
paigecornwell@dailynebraskan.com
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