2008 Woodie Awards
Thanksgiving weight gain may cause unnecessary stress
Sara Siekierski
Issue date: 11/20/07 Section: Arts & Lifestyle
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When a student has gained some weight since beginning college, the stress of going home and seeing family and friends for the first time in a while can be even greater.
"Usually the first thing people focus on is actually what you physically look like, and that's usually the first thing you're going to get a comment on from those people around you," Jill Mallin, outreach counselor at University Health and Counseling Services, said.
Negative reactions from loved ones due to weight gain didn't used to be common for young college women at the turn of the last century.
According to an article written by Margaret Lowe, an associate professor of history at Bridgewater State College, many first-year female students in those days also came home for Thanksgiving a size or two larger than when they left.
However, instead of feeling anxiety over gaining weight, they wrote home to their families expressing satisfaction.
To them, it meant they were healthy and leading a successful college life. In those days, society's picture of the ideal woman was much different, Mallin said. Curves and voluptuous bodies were much more valued. Now, society has placed a much greater emphasis on thinness.
"I think there's almost this belief that thin equals happy," Mallin said.
Mallin said there is often a negative stigma attached to weight gain. Many people tend to assume that if someone has gained weight or is overweight, it means he or she is unhappy or lazy.
"For some people, that might be their natural set point that their body needs to be at or is comfortable being at," Mallin said.
Because our society places so much emphasis on appearance, it's often the first thing people react to when they haven't seen someone in awhile, Mallin said. This can create a lot of anxiety for a new college student coming home for the holidays.
"We don't realize how much feedback we get on our appearance from other people," Mallin said.
"Usually the first thing people focus on is actually what you physically look like, and that's usually the first thing you're going to get a comment on from those people around you," Jill Mallin, outreach counselor at University Health and Counseling Services, said.
Negative reactions from loved ones due to weight gain didn't used to be common for young college women at the turn of the last century.
According to an article written by Margaret Lowe, an associate professor of history at Bridgewater State College, many first-year female students in those days also came home for Thanksgiving a size or two larger than when they left.
However, instead of feeling anxiety over gaining weight, they wrote home to their families expressing satisfaction.
To them, it meant they were healthy and leading a successful college life. In those days, society's picture of the ideal woman was much different, Mallin said. Curves and voluptuous bodies were much more valued. Now, society has placed a much greater emphasis on thinness.
"I think there's almost this belief that thin equals happy," Mallin said.
Mallin said there is often a negative stigma attached to weight gain. Many people tend to assume that if someone has gained weight or is overweight, it means he or she is unhappy or lazy.
"For some people, that might be their natural set point that their body needs to be at or is comfortable being at," Mallin said.
Because our society places so much emphasis on appearance, it's often the first thing people react to when they haven't seen someone in awhile, Mallin said. This can create a lot of anxiety for a new college student coming home for the holidays.
"We don't realize how much feedback we get on our appearance from other people," Mallin said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
jeanne waggoner
posted 11/20/07 @ 8:18 PM CST
very insightful comments/advice; helps us to keep a balanced view
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