UWM Eating Disorder Awareness: The Student Body

The UWM Psychology Clinic, University Counseling Services and The Eating Recovery Center hosted a movie screening called “The Student Body” by filmmaker Bailey Webber during UWM Eating Disorder Awareness Week on campus as they chose the film in supporting the week. A panel discussion took place afterwards and students asked UWM Health faculty questions regarding the film and provided their ideas as to what obesity means since it was a repetitive topic within the film. A couple of student mediate on what obesity actually meant.

“Someone was asking about various films to use for educational purposes, and I happened to spot the name and I looked it up and started watching it and thought it was really a great film,” Said Dr. Stacy Nye, director of UWM psychology clinic.

The Student Body film was a documentary of how Webber, a high school student at the time, interviewed high school and grammar school students about the weight monitoring in their schools. During the film, Webber had a difficult time getting hold of Ohio Senator Eric Kearney as she wanted to interview him for the reasoning behind his decision in making body mass index test (BMI) mandatory in public schools.

“It’s Eating Disorder Awareness week and there needs to be awareness because I’ve been there and other situations. It just can feel lonely when you’re struggling and when you don’t feel good about yourself. That’s not a good place to be,” Webber said.

In this documentary, Webber expressed concern over the BMI testing happening in schools due to a close friend of hers experiencing a “fat letter” she received in her mailbox explaining why she was overweight. At the end of the film, Webber finally reaches Kearney and interviews him. Webber later concludes the interview by showing Kearney the letter that her close friend received and asked him to take her own BMI test to demonstrate to him how offensive it was to students in schools.

“Obesity in and of itself is not the problem, it might be the high blood pressure, it might be the diabetes, it might be one of those other things. Those are things you can address, but just trying to fix weight isn’t necessarily going to solve any problems,” Nye said.

Students were able to ask questions to Webber through Skype. The event included varieties of flavored water and pizza. Webber is a filmmaker and director of the documentary” The Student Body”. Webber was a high school journalist at the time as she turned a small project about BMI test into a broad topic that turned into a film. A topic that makes Webber determined to rebel against society rules regarding BMI tests in schools.

The UWM psychology clinic is a training program that is serviced by graduate students who was taught about psychotherapy. The graduate students are supervised by faculty staff who are in control of quality services provided. The clinic also has a low-cost sliding fee scale therapy. The Psychology Clinic is located on the first floor of Pearse Hall.