Body Positive @ UVa

 

The Women's Center Eating Disorders Program

Respect | Compassion | Awareness| Community| Diversity | Collaboration

Information about eating, body image, and exercise concerns, disordered eating, and eating disorders.

Did you know?

• Approximately 60% of college women have disordered eating. 
• 20% of college students have had or are currently living with an eating disorder. 75% of them do not seek treatment.
• 67% of women age 15-64 withdraw from life-engaging activities like, giving an opinion, going to school, and going to the doctor because they feel badly about their looks.

Events

Click here to see our calendar of events.

Our Work

The mission of the Women’s Center Eating Disorders Education Program is to work with our partners to provide education, outreach services, and resources about disordered eating, body image, and exercise concerns to the University community in order to create awareness about these issues, support those affected, and reduce prevalence. The Program envisions a body positive community at UVA where everyone enjoys a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and body image.

Reflections @UVa

The Women’s Center in collaboration with UVA’s Office of Residence Life provides the Reflections program to groups of women in first year dormitories. This program helps college women establish and maintain a positive body image. Using highly interactive, staff and peer-led, small groups, the body image program is a two-day, intervention program designed by experts for college campuses throughout North America. The program does not focus on eating disorders; rather, it emphasizes creating and reaffirming positive and healthy personal body image through a variety of structured discussions, activities, and exercises. To learn more visit www.bodyimageprogram.org,

Stop Fat Talk! Be a body activist!! Learn more at this link and watch the 5 minute 2008 Friends Don’t Let Friends Fat Talk video. It’s amazing!

Participant comments

Reflections is an excellent program that pushes us to explore the implications of measuring our self worth and value based on our outer body. | It was amazing to hear my peers speak about the same issues that I face all the time, especially because sometimes I feel like I'm the only one facing them. | I now feel more comfortable talking with others about their image issues and can now provide better support and encouragement. I didn't know that we all struggle with such similar things.

Counseling & Support

Eating Disorders Group
Emily Lape, LCSW eel4r@virginia.edu and Rebecca Ginsberg, MA at 434-243-5150
Student Health Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
This Eating Disorders Therapy/Support group is for UVa students with bulimia or binge eating disorder who are committed to work toward recovery from their eating disorders. It meets Thursdays 3:30-4:45 at Student Health. Group themes may include sense of personal identity and self worth, perfectionism and control, body image obsessions, family concerns and relationship issues, sexuality and balancing achievement with enjoying life. The group draws on both practical cognitive-behavioral techniques as well as interpersonal exploration. Some previous or current individual therapy or nutritional counseling is helpful. If interested, contact Emily Lape LCSW at eel4r@virginia.edu to set up a pre-group meeting. For other CAPS counseling and support groups visit this link.

Individual counseling
Individual counseling for eating concerns is available at the Women’s Center, CAPS and the Ainsworth Clinic.

Women’s Center Counseling Services: 434-982-2252 or uvawomenscenterc@gmail.com
Student Health Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 434-924-5556
Mary D. Ainsworth Psychological Clinic: 434-982-4737 or ainsworth@virginia.edu

In addition, a nutritionist is available for consultations at Student Health. Contact Melanie Brede, RD in the Office of Health Promotion at 924-1509.

Books
Visit the Women’s Center to read and check out our collection of books about healthy living, eating/exercise/body image concerns, disordered eating, and eating disorders. The books are a part of our Jill T. Rinehart Library located in the waiting area.

Links

At UVa
Coalition on Eating Disorders and Exercise Concerns
indorgs.virginia.edu/uvacares/

Office of Health Promotion at Student Health
www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/healthpro.html

Student Health Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/caps.html

Ainsworth Clinic
www.virginia.edu/~psych/ainsworth

University of Virginia Dining Services
www.campusdish.com/en-us/CSSE/VIRGINIA

Other
Brown University Body Image Information www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_
Services/Health_Education/nutrition/bodyimage.htm

UCLA Eating Disorders Information
www.snac.ucla.edu/pages/Body_Image/Eating_Disorders.htm

Body Image: Love Yourself from the Inside Out
www.4women.gov/bodyimage/index.cfm

National Eating Disorders Organization
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

Campus Calm
www.campuscalm.com

Health at Every Size (HAES)
www.jonrobison.net/index.html

Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters
www.courtneyemartin.com