On Friday, September 20, the Student Wellness club organized a convocation in the Chapel for freshmen and sophomores. The featured speaker was Kameron Talley, the Health Promotion and Well-Being Coordinator at USF. During the convocation, Talley discussed the importance of a healthy self-esteem, proper eating, and the negative effects of comparison. 

Talley first discussed the difference between admiration and comparison when it comes to physical appearance. She said that “it is perfectly acceptable to admire a feature on someone that you may not have.”

This admiration, however, can become harmful “when it turns into jealousy and negative feelings towards yourself because you may not look a certain way.”

Next, Talley emphasized the importance of exercising for the right reasons. When exercising, a person’s goal should be to maintain a healthy lifestyle rather than to look a certain way. Exercising in order to gain a specific appearance can become harmful to the their body image and even discourage a person from exercising in the future. 

In addition to exercising, Talley reminded the audience that it is necessary for people to eat when they are hungry in order for their body to be healthy. 

Talley has even encountered students at USF who have experienced similar situations themselves.

She said, “Students at USF will sometimes tell me they are hungry but they can’t eat because they had a Chick-fil-A sandwich. I will tell them to eat because their body is signaling to them that they need food for energy.”

 Everyone’s body operates differently, therefore, there should be no shame in providing the body with food it needs to properly function throughout the day. Refusing to give the body proper nutrition will deprive the body of energy.

Although Talley discussed the importance of eating when hungry, she also highlighted the dangers of eating due to stress. Developing the habit of eating because of stress is a bad habit because it is unhealthy for the body and can harm a person’s self esteem by creating a vicious cycle of guilt. Instead, Talley recommends engaging in other hobbies or enjoyable activities that will help relieve stress. 

Everything that Talley discussed during convocation is an important reminder in a society that promotes a ripe environment for comparison through celebrities, social media, and advertisements. Society often correlates beauty to a specific body type and physical appearance. If body image is something someone struggles with, Talley’s advice is a great way to begin developing a healthier self esteem.

For AHN students struggling with their self esteem, the high school counseling office is always a great resource for strategies to help students overcome those feelings.

Personal Wellness counselor, Oddny Bakke said, “The Counseling Office supports students struggling with body image, wellness, and self esteem issues by taking a holistic approach and focusing on the bigger picture in relation to how the student is struggling. This helps us identify how the student is struggling and the ways we can help them overcome it.”

Through Talley’s discussion, she highlights of the importance in treating oneself with kindness, knowing they are beautiful just the way they are.