Clara Ann Bagnoli ‘28
Design Editor
“My body is awesome,” “My size is the least interesting thing about me,” and “obliterate diet culture” are just a few examples of the empowering messages students wrote on the scales outside of Malott. Once they were decorated, then the real fun — smashing them — could begin. Some students were more hesitant than others to begin but once the metal baseball bat hit the old fashioned metal scale, there was an overwhelming feeling of relief and freedom in the air.
From Feb. 24-28, the Claremont Colleges celebrated Eating Disorder Awareness Week through daily events centered around body positivity and support. The events were sponsored by the 7C’s Eating Disorder Task Force Team, which was started five years ago with representatives from various departments all aiming to support students with eating disorders and friends of those affected.
Other events during the week included: Affirmation Station, a talk on relative energy deficiency in sport, how to support a friend with an eating disorder, body compassion button making, empowering bracelet making, and a body positivity tea party.
The Scripps Assistant Director of Health and Wellness, Mayra Mendoza, who is also a member of the task force and the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), held the week’s final event, the Southern Smash on Friday, Feb. 28.
One of the Southern Smash’s highlights was the scale smashing, which was held during the Wellness Fair. Tiernan Peer Health Educator of Diet Culture and Body Image Miriam Akmechen ’26 helped at the fair.
Akmechen emphasized that the event boomed in popularity compared to last year.“It’s not even twelve yet and we’ve had a lot of people stop by because scales and the idea of weight as determining healthiness is very ingrained in our social consciousness” Akmechen said. “A lot of people have very heavy feelings relating to scales and it’s a very cathartic release to be able to smash a scale.”
Phoebe Baker ‘28 was one of the many students that participated in the smashing. “It was really fun to physically smash something and I felt super empowered,” Baker said.
Disordered eating and diagnosed eating conditions can affect anyone but statistically speaking, women and college students have a predisposition to a variety of eating disorders. Research has found that the median age for an onset of bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating is ages 18-22s. This, along with the stress of school work, social obligations, change in routine, substance use, and the stigma behind gaining weight in college or the so-called “freshman fifteen” are all factors that put students at higher risk.
It is also hard to ignore the gendered aspect of eating disorders. The role of media in enforcing western beauty standards makes the desire to fit in a specific, usually smaller, body type unmanageable.
“As a historically women’s college, a lot of our students have had challenges [with eating disorders] in the past, but we are such a supportive community [and] we aim to create a healthy dialogue about these issues and make sure that everyone knows the resources they have available and how to support their friends” Akmechen said.
For anyone struggling with an eating disorder at Scripps, there are many on-campus resources available to students. If a student is struggling to meet their nutritional needs, Scripps has their own registered dietitian Whitney Tawney, who works with health education outreach and can be met with through referral from Monsour. Additionally, the Claremont McKenna peer health educators work with students on the topic of body image.
Outside of the consortium, the NEDA website has links to help fund treatment in local areas, specific screenings, and other helpful information.
After a smashing week of affirming body positivity remember to always be sensitive to what others are going through and remember that all bodies are beautiful. “Ideal beauty standards can kick rocks,” Mendoza said.
Photo Courtesy of Clara Ann Bagnoli ‘28
