Staff from the University of Vermont’s Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHWB) collaborated on an intersectional series of campus events to bring awareness to National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and the intersections of disordered eating, weight-based discrimination, and radical self-love.
For the last two years, Annie Valetine, CHWB’s education and training manager, has partnered with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences to host a capstone internship for graduating seniors. For over 15 years, Valentine has provided education and outreach support in the Center for Health and Wellbeing on mental health, eating disorder awareness, and suicide prevention. This past fall, Valentine identified three students—Camille Argentieri, Lauren Zehnacker, and Ayla Buerkett—whose shared passion for eating disorder education and prevention made them an incredible team for this semester's programming.
Start with a Bang — Smash the Scale
Inspired by the National Alliance for Eating Disorders’ decade-old Southern Smash tradition, CHWB’s kickoff event—Smash the Scale—was an electric event aimed at reclaiming power over the symbolism of bathroom scales. Just before 11:00 a.m., a crowd gathered outside of the Davis Center, a curious green tarp spread out across the paved walkway. Soon enough, organizers and attendees were provided a baseball bat and donated scales and encouraged to “take a few swings” on top of the protective plastic. Even UVM mascot Rally Cat took his turn!
The goal, as explained by CHWB’s event UVMBored description, was to break free from both the scale as a symbol, and to separate a person’s weight and their self-worth. “Smash the Scale created a visceral response,” shares Annie Valentine, organizer and staff member in the Center for Health and Wellbeing. “It was a release for many participants. It painted a picture of where many are in relation to their mind and bodies.”
Fat Bias and Prioritizing Human Rights Over Health — Keynote with Virgie Tovar
Later in the week, UVM welcomed celebrated author, lecturer, podcast host, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination Virgie Tovar. In 2013, Tovar started the hashtag campaign #LoseHateNotWeight and swiftly made an impact on the conversation and study of fat discrimination. Watch Tovar’s UVM lecture on YouTube.
The following morning, Tovar joined the Mosaic Center for Students of Color and Counseling and Psychiatry Services (CAPS) for Friday breakfast. Tovar helped make and serve chilaquiles—a traditional Mexican corn tortilla breakfast—and later met with students to complete passages from her book, The Body Positive Journal.
“Virgie elevated our messaging to an entirely new level in centering the conversation on human rights,” says Valentine. “To connect with diverse audiences, we need diverse thought and perspective on how we approach health, healthism, and body policing.”
Cats Creating Change
The final event of the week was the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Walk to raise awareness and funds for eating disorder prevention, cures, and access to quality care. In total, the Cats Creating Change team raised $1,100 for the Association. “My favorite part of coordinating these events were the important conversations we got to have around weight bias and body inclusivity, with both my team and with people participating in our events,” explained Ayla Buerkett ‘23, a Health Sciences major and one of capstone interns working with Valentine. “It was truly amazing to spread our knowledge and passion for celebrating bodies of all colors, shapes, sizes, and everything in between. As a future healthcare professional, I am beyond grateful to know that body size and shape has nothing to do with a person's character or health. I am excited to enter a field that has such a strong influence on how society views health, and I believe that people like me can and will make a difference.”
