Upon reading the article "Ball State faculty weigh in on tips for being fit this Spring Break" in the Tuesday, February 28th issue of the Daily News, I was rather taken aback.
The article strongly insinuates that physical activity is first and foremost a tool to achieve what our society deems "that perfect bikini body." Indeed, it seems to even go as far as to equate physical fitness with having the perfectly flat belly that, according to many peoples' standard of beauty, women apparently cannot and should not live without.
While I appreciate the fact that the article promoted exercise, rather than dangerous fad diets or weight-management pills, as a means to achieve weight loss and physical attractiveness, I feel that, it being National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, this emphasis on "that perfect bikini body", rather than on other benefits of physical fitness and exercise, is insensitive, misleading and even dangerous.
Exercise bulimia, an eating disorder that falls under the category of Bulimia Nervosa, is characterized by the compulsive desire to burn off calories, shed weight and achieve a "perfect body" by working out excessively; this disorder can result heart problems, bone loss, kidney damage and joint damage, among other things.
In fact, of all the people suffering from mental disorders, those who suffer from eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Girls and women, especially ones who are going through times of extreme stress or change, make up the overwhelming percentage of those who suffer from eating disorders and/or distorted body image perception. The article declares that "One of the top body insecurities women complain about are the abdominal muscles. In the eyes of women, the perfect bikini body cannot exist without a flatter stomach."
There is no such thing as a perfect body, and repeatedly saying that there is such a thing only reinforces the insecurities that 91 percent of college-aged females have in regards to their physical appearance.
I believe that The Daily News, as a medium that specifically targets the students of Ball State University, should take care to combat unattainable standards of beauty instead of encouraging said standards through suggestions for weight loss that, while harmless and even beneficial when taken in moderation, could be taken to an unhealthy level.
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