by Jessica Del Curto
Daily Lobo
Jeramiah Leonard works out at the gym because he loves feeling sore the next day.
"I like to feel like I really beat myself up," he said.
Alison Murray, a teaching assistant who instructs weight lifting, aerobics, dance and swimming classes, said that's an inappropriate way to work out.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
She's working with Leonard to create a more balanced routine.
"A lot of kids come to school, take classes, work out, and they just want to get fit," she said.
But often they overdo it because they are working out in order to fit into society's standards, she said. Everyone should have their own routine that is balanced and created specifically for them.
Murray is from Scotland, and said eating disorders and self-regulation problems aren't isolated to the United States. She also said body image issues affect men and women.
"Especially at the university level, because their egos are so fragile," she said.
Freshman Brittany Whiting said she feels insecure about her body often.
"It's hard not to (be insecure) when what's being projected to you is such a stark image," she said. "It's really hard when what you're being told is beautiful, isn't necessarily what you look like."
The fashion industry is partly to blame for creating insecurity in women, said Holly Finley, a counselor who specializes in eating disorders.
"It certainly changed in the '60s with Twiggy," she said, referring to the tall, thin fashion model who popularized the waif look. "The idea was that you could pay more attention to the clothes and not the model."
She said although eating disorders can be genetic, society lends itself to these issues.
"What we know is that genetics loads the gun and the environment pulls the trigger," she said.
Leonard said he likes fit women.
"I'm not looking for Miss Fit USA," he said. "I just don't want someone who is obese. I don't like the way it looks. It doesn't feel good to touch."
Athletes deal with the pressure to be thin also. Finley said many of her patients are athletes.
"They tend to be more driven and performance-oriented," she said. "They are all-or-nothing thinkers."
UNM volleyball player Nicole Ryan said she feels pressure to be thin and fit as an athlete.
"Especially because in volleyball you're wearing spandex, and that's the main focus of your body," she said.
She has gotten used to the spandex and now prefers them, Ryan said, but still thinks about her weight.
"I've never done the anorexic or bulimic thing," she said. "But I'm definitely very conscious about my body. I used to compare myself to people in the magazines. But you know what, I like to eat chocolate, so that's not going to happen."
Men can be self-conscious of what they eat, too.
"When I have a sweets binge, I feel guilty, like how much of this is going to stay in me," said junior Jervon Perkins.
Perkins also works out a lot, and cares about how clothes look on him.
"If I wear a shirt and I find it's showing too much gut, I won't wear it," he said.
Leonard agreed. He is always on a diet, he said.
"In this society, we have access to any food we want, which is very dangerous," Leonard said.
But he doesn't always count calories for health issues, he said. Societal pressures to look good also play a part in his decision-making.
"I don't exist in a vacuum," he said.
