Love Your Body Week will allow students to be more positive with their body images. Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Helcbergier
The Student Wellness Center is hosting a universitywide Love Your Body Week from Feb. 20-24 to help students adopt a more positive body image.
The event — centered around promoting holistic wellness, bodily autonomy and body acceptance — hopes to target a wide audience, Sara Hoover, graduate in social work and program coordinator, said.
“We had a big push for mostly in-person events with a few virtual ones too,” Hoover said. “We want to make sure that there’s something for everyone.”
According to the Student Wellness Center’s website, there will be 21 events hosted by a variety of organizations within and outside Ohio State.
Throughout the week, Hoover said various campus locations will hold workshops, student panels and classes focused on recognizing all aspects of body positivity. Conversations about intersectionality, healthy relationships with food and mental health are some of the highlights of the week.
“We’re here to look at self-love and self-acceptance overall,” Hoover said. “This week is full of celebrating what our bodies can do and what they provide for us.”
Love Your Body Week began in 2020 in alignment with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, according to a 2021 Lantern article. However, the event goes beyond conversations about eating disorders and disordered eating with events about fitness, identity and more.
Arianna Camel, associate director for the center, said the goal of Love Your Body Week is to create a space where students can dive deep into body acceptance and body positivity while providing them with accessible resources.
“We’re here to help students gain knowledge and make the best decisions for themselves,” Camel said.
The wellness center’s staff will host multiple events throughout the week — such as “Listen to your Body: How Might a Menstrual Cycle Impact Our Body’s Needs?” a presentation educating participants around the phases of the menstrual cycle and how to listen to one’s body Feb. 22, and “Body Project” a two-session body-acceptance program to help students “feel better about their bodies” Feb. 20 and 27.
Throughout the academic year, the Student Wellness Center offers education and support about body image, nutrition and mental health along with many other unique opportunities for students to get involved in their well-being, Camel said.
“Our hope is to engage students in opportunities that increase their well being in positive ways,” Camel said. “Our goal is to get students actively involved in their own health efforts.”
Camel said Love Your Body Week is not limited to only students. The entire Ohio State community is encouraged to get involved.
A complete schedule of events is available on the center’s website
