Eating Disorder Awareness Week brought in multiple events around campus, including a Barbie photo booth. Set up in the Student Center, the photo booth allowed students to take pictures in a life size Barbie packaging box. Jenny Lybeck-Brown, an associate training director at the MU Counseling Center, brought the idea to Mizzou and sat down with Her Campus to talk about eating disorders and “Real Life Barbie & Ken.”
Her Campus Mizzou: Where did you get the idea for the photo booth?
Jenny Lybeck-Brown: I brought it to Mizzou, but it wasn’t originally my idea. The people who run the Eating Disorders Awareness Week had a list of possible things you could do, and one of our former interns is the director at Westminster College. She had posted about it on Facebook — all good ideas come from Facebook, right? — and I saw that and asked her what it was. I thought it would be a really cool thing to bring to Mizzou. I just thought it would be interesting.
HCM: How did you expect it to impact the students?
JLB: The impact that I hoped for was a couple of different things. One was to raise awareness about body image issues and give them a chance to do something fun — you know, put on some silly costumes — and also to kind of poke fun at some of the images that are out there of both men and women. I wanted to do something fun and still be able to get students thinking next time they see an image in the magazines. They should be appreciating their own bodies. It was also just a way to get awareness out there in a flashy sort of way, something to get the students attention and get them thinking. The other events were more serious, but still enjoyable and this definitely created a balance between fun and serious ways to raise awareness for the cause. With the pictures that the students took, we sent out tips for raising awareness about eating disorders as well as ways you can help people they know who might be struggling. The point was to get the community involved and not just lend advice to those who may have an eating disorder. It’s about creating and promoting healthy body images in our community.
HCM: What advice would you give someone with an eating disorder?
JLB: Well I work with a lot of students with eating disorders, so I guess I would just tell them that they aren’t alone. There are a lot of things I could say actually, but the main thing is that I want them to know they aren’t alone. It can be a very isolating disorder and it can lead to a lot of secrecy and isolation. I would want them to feel comfortable seeking help. Nobody can do it for them, but sometimes the issue is so big and overwhelming that seeking help can seem intimidating. There are actually a lot of people here to help though and a lot of people who get it and I want them to know that there are people there for them and want they want to help them with the recovery process.
HCM: What are some things you would want to see change in the way society thinks we should look?
JLB: I mean there are some people out there who look like Barbie, and that’s great, but there are also people who don’t look that way. So it would be great to see some flexibility. A lot of times it’s just one sided, and a fairly airbrushed or Photoshopped side at that, but I just think that they should show more flexibility. They could show more shapes and sizes and races and ages, just to show that there is beauty in that too.
HCM: Have you seen the real life Barbie and Ken? What are your thoughts on them?
JLB: It’s just sad to subject yourself to those kinds of dangers. It’s quite creepy, and just sad really. In my mind they don’t look very attractive.