Self-esteem brightens the cat walk FAM puts fashionable foot forward to promote bodily pride

Author: Alina Levina

The "I Love my Body" fashion show was characterized by a comical yet serious tone that powerfully illuminated the struggles associated with eating disorders and body image. Through sophomore Ryan Taurianene's documentary on the stories of women and their struggle with bulimia, the audience was both captivated and touched. The event then transitioned into a fashion show in which faculty, staff, students and members of the town cat-walked the stage displaying their "I Love My Body Because…" T-shirts.

Through the documentary Lauren Curatolo '06 and others shared life stories about their clandestine struggles with bulimia. The documentary adroitly captured the pain, the tears and the healing process of a person struggling with bulimia.

Curatolo said, "I feel a lot of people who have an eating disorder are ashamed of themselves, but once you begin the healing process you are free. In the documentary Curatolo expressed that it is not "How was recovery?" but rather "How is recovery?" Healing is a process, and with bulimia it is a never -ending process. The girls spoke of their temptations to return to bulimia because it was the way in which they were able to control their bodies. However, the need and importance of friends that make one feel beautiful were emphasized as the greatest stimuli not to lead a life of bulimia.

The documentary also included powerful testimonies of friends who wanted to help. The documentary exposed the heart-breaking experience of knowing a friend is throwing up after every meal and not being able to help her. The friend shared her experience of having to go to the counseling center herself in order to learn about how to help her friend. Another Middlebury student that shared her struggle with bulimia explained how her bulimia was self-induced to fit a certain image of a "popular" girl. The girl explained how in her mind 100 pounds was beautiful and popular, while 105 was ugly and overweight.

The documentary educated the students through personal experiences and national statistics. A slideshow featuring magazine covers of "perfect" women was used to address the media's role in promoting a certain body image. The pictures, quotes and music selection through the documentary set an empowering tone for the members of the audience. Tauriainen said, "I made the documentary because I feel that eating disorders are a critical issue for both men and women in the world and on the Middlebury campus."

The participants of the "I Love My Body" fashion show ran the gamut of students to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Assia Elgouacem '06, an organizer of the event, explained the reason for this year's theme: "We realized the extent to which eating disorders are a problem in the Middlebury community, and we wanted to raise awareness by showing that people have survived it." The fashion show incorporated men, women, children and adults, all of whom had one thing in common; they loved their bodies.

The t-shirts of each model were customized to represent what each modeled loved most about his or her body. The reasons to love one's body included the following: "I love my body because it's flexible," "my mommy told me to,"

"it helped me bring two beautiful children into this world," "it's mine," "because it fits like a glove" and many more.

The role of men in issues such as bulimia is often overlooked, yet Feminist Action at Middlebury tried to reach out to both genders. Aisha Awadallah, a visting student from Tulane and an audience member, said "I was glad to see such pride from both men and women in their bodies." Gail D. Smith, associate director of Athletics, stated, "It is interesting to see the influence of both men and women in encouraging or discouraging eating disorders." The love for one's body is a topic that is of great importance for both genders and Morgane Richardson '08, a member of FAM, put forth the following agenda: "We are hoping that this will become an annual event that will draw both sexes to appreciate their bodies."

Curatolo reflecting upon the event said, "It was a really empowering event and I am really proud of all the men and women who participated."