Body Positive Resources

 

 

Counseling & Support

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling for eating concerns is available at the Women’s Center, CAPS and the Ainsworth Clinic.

Check out the downloadable handouts about disordered eating, exercise, and how to help a friend to the right!

- Women’s Center Counseling Services: 434-982-2252 or uvawomenscenterc@gmail.com

- Student Health Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 434-924-5556

- Mary D. Ainsworth Psychological Clinic: 434-982-4737 or ainsworth@virginia.edu

In addition, a nutritionist is available for consultations at Student Health. Contact Melanie Brede, RD in the Office of Health Promotion at 924-1509.

Books
Visit the Women’s Center to read and check out our collection of books about healthy living, eating/exercise/body image concerns, disordered eating, and eating disorders. The books are a part of our Jill T. Rinehart Library located in the waiting area.

For Parents/Family Members

ePATH (Empowering Parents and Adolescents Towards Health) is a new, web-based program being evaluated by researchers at the University of Chicago that parents and family members of an adolescent (12-17 years) with disordered eating behavior might find helpful. Eligible families will receive eight weeks of evidence-supported online materials designed to help parents and teens address early signs of eating disorders, and prevent these symptoms from developing into full-blown anorexia or bulimia.

Related Research
The Eating Disorders Education Initiative has collected a helpful annotated bibliography that lists important books, articles, and other resources about eating disorders, disordered behavior, and body positive prevention and intervention.

- "A Turning Point in the War Against Eating Disorders": a must-read article about the increasing visibility of eating disorders and the public's more-accurate understanding of them.

Links

Help @ U.Va.

Student Health Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) - Individual/group therapy, psychiatry, assessments, consultation

• Eating Disorders Therapy/Support Group 
  This group is for students who have been in therapy for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder and who are committed to working towards recovery. Group themes may include: sense of personal identity and self worth, perfectionism and control, body image and obsessions, exercise extremes, anxiety or low moods, family concerns, relationship skills, sexuality, and balancing achievement with the rest of life. Tuesdays 3:10-4:30, Angela Gray, Ph.D.& Ashley Zavertnik, Psy.D. Click for info on CAPS.
  

Women's Center - Individual therapy, resource library

Clinical Psychology Services - Individual therapy

Ainsworth Clinic - Individual therapy

Office of Health Promotion - Nutrition counseling, presentations

Dining/Nutrition Services - Nutrition counseling for meal plan participants

Student Health Center - Medical care

Intramural-Recreational Sports - Fitness information, exercise programming

HELP Line: 434-295-TALK - Student run crisis hotline, available 24/7 during the academic year

Hoos Open to Preventing Eating Disorders (HOPE) - Student organization that offers presentations, programming, and resources

Mindfulness Center - Classes, audio/video recordings

Coalition on Eating Disorders and Exercise Concerns U.Va.'s Coalition on Eating Disorders and Exercise Concerns is a committee of students and multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders and exercise abuse throughout the University community. Coalition members are available to: assist with referrals deliver presentations conduct training field media inquiries To make a request, contact UVaEatingDisordersCoalition@virginia.edu

Other Links

Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating, Exercise, Body Image

National Eating Disorders Association

Brown University

Something Fishy: Website on Eating Disorders

Nutrition.gov - Articles, reports, and research

National Association for Males with Eating Disorders, Inc. (N.A.M.E.D.)

Girlshealth.gov - Information for girls, ages 10 to 16

Media Literacy - Seeing Is Not Believing!

About Face - media education/advocacy

Be Body Positive - Body and Mind

Mindful Eating Article, from Psychology Today

Campus Calm - Information and tools for managing academic stress

Operation Beautiful - Promotes positive message campaigning

Mayo Clinic: Positive Thinking and Self-Talk

Mayo Clinic: Resilience - Build skills to endure hardship

The Confidence Coalition - Campaign to promote confidence among women and girls

Womenshealth.gov - Tips for parents of young children

Related Policy & Advocacy

NOW Foundation’s Love Your Body Campaign - Empowers women to be body positive activists through different projects

National Eating Disorders Coalition - Summary of legislation

What about "Obesity Prevention"?

"Size prevention" and "size promotion" contribute to weight gain and poorer health habits, but what should be recommended instead?

Consider this:

• Diverse sizes, even at the extremes, are not “preventable.” Framing “size prevention” as a goal inherently stigmatizes that size and encourages a fear-based response to it.
• Messages promoting “size prevention” and therefore fear of fatness encourage counterproductive choices for “size reduction.”
• When “size” is promoted as the goal or reason for healthy eating and fitness habits, the value of health as a goal or reason for these choices is diminished.
• Consider valuing health instead of making size your goal!
• Read The Ten Essential Lessons for a Healthy Body Esteem and Weight and more here.
• Visit this website to learn 10 things you can do right now to ease your concerns about your weight and improve your health.