Body Liberation club brings awareness to body stigmas

This year, a new club aims to create an environment for CSB+SJU students of all identities to appreciate their bodies while also deconstructing weight-related stigmas in our campus community.

The Body Liberation club hopes to bring awareness to the bodily stereotypes students face in their everyday lives while also providing a safe space to discuss mental and physical wellness. In their first meeting, the co-chairs highlighted the club’s mission to “create and maintain an environment on campus for people of all identities to appreciate their bodies, to ditch comparision/shame, and educate the CSB+SJU community on weight-related stigmas.”

CSB junior Sophie Sartain serves as co-chair of the club, along with fellow CSB students Anna Trombley and Anna Savage.

“When I started talking about the mission of the club, individuals of all backgrounds were interested. The overwhelming response proved that bodily stigma is something that our CSB+SJU community deals with on a daily basis, regardless of if it is discussed openly,” Sartain said.

The club’s principles are adopted from those of the Health at Every Size Movement (HAES). The movement emphasizes weight neutrality, physical activity, enhancing health and eating for nutritional needs while simultaneously teaching individuals that weight is not indicative of how healthy a person is.

Research conducted by Illinois State University found that at least 80% of college students have displayed body image dissatisfaction at some point, citing social media and diet culture as the top contributing factors. An emphasis on body liberation instead of body positivity acknowledges that individuals may not always feel positively toward their bodies, and the club creates a safe space in which individuals can explore those feelings.

The Body Liberation club hopes to bring awareness to the challenges college students face and facilitate activities that emphasize being the best version of yourself. This past Thursday, the club hosted its inaugural event, an outing called the “Hotties with Bodies Walk.” The walk allowed potential members to get to know one another in an environment that promoted physical fitness and mental well-being.

CSB junior Lizzie Morrey says that the club and its activities allow both Bennies and Johnnies to come together to discuss, advocate and educate one another on the importance of body image.

“I feel that these stigmas are not talked about enough, so having the resources on campus to support one another in an uplifting environment is essential to our community,” Morrey said.

As the club grows, they hope to encourage both Bennies and Johnnies to get involved. SJU senior Sean Fisher believes the club plays an integral role in the CSB+SJU community.

“Loving the figure that you have is so important, and it’s important for us to celebrate every person no matter their body, gender, race, orientation or ability. Humans are beautiful in that we are perfectly imperfect,” Fisher said.

It is important to note that accepting one’s body is not something that comes overnight. It takes time to learn how to love your body and all the wonderful things it accomplishes daily. CSB senior Megan Borash notes that the journey toward self-acceptance is not always easy but enables us to help others who struggle with similar perspectives.

“It’s important to recognize too that we do not always have positive ideologies about body image. As someone who strives to own who they are, I want to be a champion of others who are also on the journey of loving and accepting themselves and their bodies,” Borash said.

SJU junior Ignacio Sanchez Romero believes the addition of the Body Liberation club will empower both campuses.

“Our bodies are the way we represent ourselves, and I am excited to be a part of something that empowers our community to challenge the stigmas, our students face. I cannot wait to see what the club accomplishes,” Sanchez Romero said.