On October 20th, WGH held its kick-off event for the 2011-12 year: a screening of the documentary film “Beauty Mark” followed by a lively and thought-provoking discussion. The film explores the relationship between culturally- and commercially-constructed beauty standards and the presence of body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and exercise bulimia in the US. In “Beauty Mark”, the filmmaker (psychotherapist and former world-class triathlete Diane Israel) also traces her own struggles with body image and self-acceptance. Following the screening, Bernice Raveche, MPH, and Kendrin Sonneville, ScD, moderated an engaging discussion with audience members. Topics included the role of culture and place in understanding eating disorders, research on eating disorders around the globe, concerns about current anti-obesity messaging, and ideas for attempting to integrate eating disorder prevention with obesity prevention efforts within a public health framework. The event was co-hosted by HSPH’s Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED), which was also celebrating its new name and website. Congratulations to STRIPED!
Women, Gender, and Health
