In college, many students struggle with health and fitness, gaining weight, losing weight, and comparing themselves to each other in relation to their size. Women generally want to be skinny with large breasts, a small waist, and a fit physique. Men generally want to be physically fit with a muscular chest and attractive according to media standards. Every day, college students are told through media, advertising, and their peers what is considered attractive in society. Often times, what is considered attractive is un-relastic and can consume our thoughts. We work towards a goal that might not be obtainable or even healthy for our bodies. Eating disorders are on the rise and for some students, making it to the gym is more of a priority than making it to class.

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Eva Warner, an RA in Hallett, works as Hallett's Wellness Coordinator. Every semester, she works to implement a program in Hallett that speaks to mental, physical, and emotional wellness. Eva, as well as other RAs in Hallett, have noticed students talking about their un-realistic views when it comes to size and fitness. Women in our hall often talk about wanting to be skinnier or not being able to eat a cookie because they want to look good for spring break. Men often talk about wanting to be more muscular and thinking about taking supplements to look bigger and more fit. Media is often times a main contributor to what students think they should look like. Therefore, Eva wanted to implement a passive program that nobody in the hall could pass by and not see.

In March, Eva started her wellness campaign to show students how un- realistic society can be when it comes to physical fitness. Eva created the realistic Barbie and the realistic Batman. She cut out six foot models of Barbie and Batman and how horrible they look with measurements of real people. Barbie has huge breasts, a very tiny waist, and strong thighs. Batman has a very large, muscular chest, and huge thighs that are also very muscular. Eva put the measurements of Batman and Barbie's body parts on both figures and showed how un-realistic it would be for a human being to look like either of these media images we see every day. We are pressured to look like them, yet its physically impossible for men and women to look like these media mogules we see all the time.

Eva put up her un-realistic figures in the lobby of Hallett so nobody walking through the building can miss them!

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The goal of this program was to educate students about the un- realistic views we get as a society about physical health. With all the pressure students get from the media as well as their peers, this program was meant to show students what the reality is and that society is giving them messages that are not accurate.

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Every student who lives in Hallett has seen this passive program. The poster of Barbie and Batman is huge and something that students cannot pass without looking at. Every day, students can be seen stopping on their way to class or the dining hall to look at the poster and see what information is there. I have seen students talk about the poster and how funny both Batman and Barbie look as real people. Students are talking about how societal views are really influencing their thoughts and decisions on fitness when they are often very un-realistic and un-healthy.

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As stated above, this program has shown students that the media feeds us messages that we have to be skinnier, more muscular, and more physically fit. In reality, its important to be healthy, but its also important to know how to be healthy and know that being healthy comes in all different shapes and sizes.

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This program can be adapted to any campus. The $10 cost includes butcher paper to make the poster, scissors, and markers. To make the realistic characters, the following website can be used: http://www.teen-beauty-tips.com/barbie-body-image.html

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