Body appearance issues and eating disorders have posed a problem in our society for quite some time. A study done by Brown University found 74.4 percent of normal-weight men and women think about their weight and appearance frequently.
A new club on campus, Plattsburgh Students for Body Peace looks to provide a support system for people dealing with these issues.
“It’s something that matters to us — we’ve dealt with it ourselves,” club Vice President Bridget McDonnell said. “So we figured other students have the same issues and concerns.”
President of Body Peace Justine Bonilla said the idea of creating a club was spur of the moment with her roommate.
“Bridget and I — we kind of were just thinking about it, and then we just went with it.”
Bonilla said the club tries to promote self-love, which demonstrates self-care for your body, mind and spirit.
Treasurer and public relations major Marco DiGirolomo, said he believes the club stands out because it deals with issues that are present in our own age group.
“People deal with it on a daily basis — so I think it’s good for people to know we’re here to help.”
DiGirolomo said college can be stressful on students. He said on top of juggling school, work and a social life, students are also feeling conscious about their physical appearance and how others perceive them.
Even though the club is fairly new, Bonilla hopes to eventually have events on campus such as Zumba, cooking classes and a fashion show.
“Right now we are concentrating on getting new members, so we are able to do our events and make sure they’re successful.”
Camille Fernandez, a human development and family relations major, attended one of the first meetings for the club.
Fernandez said what drew her to the club were the issues and goals they were focusing on.
“It’s an issue that many people deal with,” Fernandez said. “I think it’s a great thing that they’re trying to bring more awareness to this topic.”
Another goal of the club is to develop a significant presence on campus.
“The club deals with a lot of issues students face,” Bonilla said.
“It means a whole lot to us — we’ve put a ton of effort into it, and we hope it can get big on campus and people can come out and support us,” McDonnell said.
Email David Luces at david.luces@cardinalpointsonline.com.
