Arlyne Perez/Contributing
Caitlyn Boyle, 29, posted an anonymous Post-it note on her college bathroom window one night – something she called an act of kindness that turned into Operation Beautiful.
To promote positive self-esteem, Student Health Services is hosting Operation Beautiful on Nov. 14 in the Wolfe University Center as part of International Education week where Boyle will speak to students about her mission and reversing the epidemic called “fat talk.”
“Students, especially in college, struggle with body image,” said Christine Tellez, a registered dietitian of SHS.
A Northwestern University study reported that 93 percent of college women engage in fat talk.
“We do a lot of negative talk. We don’t think about what is positive about ourselves,” said Sarah Kenneally, SHS health education specialist.
The event will promote positive self-talk.
Boyle, who operates a website and blog for people to share and post picture of positive Post-It notes they find as part of the Operation Beautiful initiative, struggled with negative self-talk.
However, a study done at the University of Notre Dame had shown that men also struggle with negative self-talk. Though less prevalent than in women, men struggle with different issues, such as being too thin or wanting muscle bulk.
Negative self-talk can be a difficult issue to battle. Starting with a friend, it can soon infect person to person, having a snowball effect. Sometimes one can feel even pressured to comply by a friend complaining he or she is too fat and another feeling the need to retort something just as negative to maintain the friendship on equal standing. Engaging in negative self-talk can feel insignificant or scripted but can have a truly toxic effect and can hurt you both emotionally and physically.
To put an end to negative self-talk, students of all genders are encouraged to attend Thursday’s event to transform the way he or she views beauty and him or herself. Additionally, Boyle will teach and give tips on how to be more body positive.
The event is a part of International Day Against Women’s Violence and there will be a resource fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., focusing on women’s violence and body image. The Clothesline Project, self-defense class and the ability to write your own anonymous inspirational Post-it note are just some the activities that will be taking place during the fair.
– bbc@fiusm.com