Harriet Brown remembers hearing students say that they refused to buy size 4 pants when they usually wear a size 2 because it made them "feel gross." Through her research with students, Brown, a magazine journalism professor recognized that students within the Syracuse community have body issues
In an attempt to relieve the pressure for students to have the perfect body, Brown brought Project BodyTalk to Syracuse for students to share and relate to each other. Brown believes that when there is more talk, there are fewer stigmas around self-image.
"Working in the media, I see the pressures on women and men to be a certain way, but we don't talk about it. We talk around it. Nobody's discussing what it's like having problems when you're living in your own body," Brown said.
Project BodyTalk is a walk-in program that invites students, faculty and staff to record their feelings about body image, food and health. From Nov. 2-13, recording sessions will be available from 3-7:30 p.m. in Newhouse II, Room 472, Suite P. Brown will also accept audio mp3 sent to hnbrown@syr.edu.
Some recordings from Project BodyTalk will be selected and aired on the National Public Radio show "51 Percent," which concentrates on women's issues and perspectives. Brown said the NPR show "StoryCorps Booth" was the inspiration for the project's format. "StoryCorps Booth" is a traveling audio booth radio show used to record the voices and stories of people across the United States, emphasizing the idea of "celebrating life through listening," an idea Brown hopes to bring to the Syracuse University community.
Brown, along with a research assistant, will help record the 3-to-10 minute commentaries. Individuals who wish to record alone or anonymously will be accommodated, Brown said.
After working in the magazine industry for 30 years, writing several books on mental health and body imagine, and experiencing issues with food herself, Brown said she thinks young people suffer worse from body images today than young people decades ago.
"All people feel self-conscious, but there is so much more pressure these days. Kids as young as eight are developing eating disorders, and I don't think they're caused by the media, but they are triggered," Brown said.
Brown found BodyTalk to be the perfect opportunity to help open up the commentary to college voices. Though only female recordings will be submitted to "51 Percent," Brown still hopes that male students, faculty and staff will participate in BodyTalk, believing that men experience just as many problems with their self-image as women do.
"Men have issues, too," Brown said. "They are experiencing more pressure than they ever did (before). Not everyone can have or should have washboard abs."
Paul Paliga, a freshman international relations major, agreed with Brown.
"I think guys have just about the same amount of body issues as girls. They're pretty self-conscious about it actually, but I think girls are more open about it," Paliga said. Junior piano performance major Sam Emanuel agrees and believes that men will take part in the program, barring the presence of girls.
"Guys absolutely, without a doubt, have body issues. We just hide it," Emanuel said. Brown was optimistic when asked if she thinks male students will participate in the project. "I would love for men to come, but I'm guessing it's going to be more women," she said.
When the BodyTalk project has run its course, Brown hopes that by starting a conversation about body image, some of the pain people feel will be lessened.
"I hope that the act of the telling (one's) story is healing. When there is more talk, there is less stigma. I also think some of the healing will come in listening to the recordings. There is a lot of power with knowing that you're not alone."
aksapara@syr.edu
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