Body Image Club Creates Safe, Fun Space For Sometimes Challenging Topic

Written By: Gena Wynkoop, Editorial Content Manager 

One thing that most students can agree on is that the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine wasn’t the easiest.

For Ila Giblin and Piper George (Grade 11), having their freshman year and established routine interrupted by remote learning was tough for many reasons; it was also bringing up some discomfort around their self-esteem.

“It was in the midst of quarantine and personally my body image was becoming an issue at that time. A lot of my friends and I were talking about struggling with our self-esteem,” said Piper. “Not having a set schedule and making sure you stay active or are eating throughout the day was tough.”

Around that same time, Seattle Academy was hosting a virtual club fair and while perusing the club offerings, Ila was searching for something that could support her and her peers who were experiencing similar struggles.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we need a Body Image Club!’” said Ila. 

Ila turned to Piper, who has been one of her best friends since the third grade, and asked if she’d want to co-lead a club about Body Image. It was an easy “yes” for Piper and thus, Body Image Club was born.

Body Image is described as a person’s subjective picture or mental image of their own body and according to the National Eating Disorder Association, 9 percent or 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. People with negative body image “have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem and obsession with weight loss,” according to the NEDA.

This topic is very familiar to the girls as they both come from households that talk openly about creating positive self-esteem and a healthy relationship with their body image. Ila’s mother is even the founder of an eating disorder treatment facility called Opal in the U-District so an awareness of the issue, especially among the teenagers, is there.

“We noticed an issue, especially with confidence amongst our friends and there was a need for a space to discuss these issues,” said Ila. “My mom has always [encouraged] me to do this type of thing.”

Now in its third year, with students back on campus full-time and with a little more normalcy in their daily lives, Body Image Club, for Upper School students meets every Monday during Community Time.

Sometimes the club meetings involve an activity, other days the girls will bring questions to prompt discussions, and sometimes it’s just a place for the members to gather, hang out and show up in whatever capacity that looks like for the day. As long as there is space to build the community and keep it safe for any and all conversations to come to the table, the girls consider it a success.

“One of the more memorable activities was when we sent out this Google Survey called ‘Samesies.’ It was completely anonymous and then people would submit what [was on their minds,]” recalled Piper. “We got answers from our peers with things they were deeply struggling with; some were really personal and others were lighter like, ‘I am so stressed with school lately.”

“Then we printed them out, cut them up and everyone shared someone else’s struggle which prompted some [meaningful] discussions. It was one of those things that a lot of members were really impacted by. It was cool and very supportive.”

“With those types of activities I get the most nervous beforehand,” added Ila. “I’m nervous that it could go wrong but I feel like the times that I get nervous or the times we’re being the most vulnerable are when the conversations are the best.”

The girls’ bravery paves the way for others to do the same.

“I had people come up to me afterward or send an email that they really enjoyed the conversation and activity,” said Piper. “It was like ‘we are all in this together.’ So many of our struggles are similar.”

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With Body Image being sometimes a not-so-fun or challenging topic to dive into, the girls will also try and ask silly questions like ‘If you could be an animal, what would you be?’

“The most important thing for us is to try to build community,” said Piper.

And they’ve been successful at it. Beyond creating the space, having to consistently show up vulnerable has been an invaluable experience for both of their learning.

“I feel like it’s taught us to grow. It’s more than just running a club, it’s been a learning experience,” said Piper. “Planning some of the lessons can be difficult because we try to bring something new each week and we don’t want it to be boring. It’s been a balance of how much talking we can get away with versus how much we need to be doing an activity.”

 “We have to [be the ones to break the ice] which can be nerve-wracking but it always starts incredible conversations that have stemmed from our vulnerability,” added Ila.

When they first started, the club meetings were via Zoom so students were able to join with the click of a button. As the club has evolved, it has solidified into a crowd of “usuals.”

“The consistent club members are our friends. It’s not as many random people showing up anymore because I think a lot of people don’t really understand. It’s kind of taboo to talk about your body image, especially at our age,” said Ila.

“It’s high school so it’s definitely stigmatized to talk about your body. As Piper has mentioned, we have had to be brave.”

Ila and Piper are self-aware that being a teen in today’s world comes with a set of challenges specific to this generation. Things were not the same even 10 years ago. With technology, social media and the world at your fingertips, there are unrealistic and ever-changing beauty standards that are only a few swipes away.

“A lot of members of our club talk about comparing themselves to models and influencers on Instagram, where photos are filtered and [plastic surgery is the norm],” said Ila. “Especially when you just open your phone and boom, that’s all you see.”

“Being a teenager in this day and age is not easy. We have access to social media and like Ila was saying there are all these procedures that [influencers can essentially] create what they look like,” adds Piper. “It’s easy to compare yourself to those women and it can be hard to see through those types of things.”

“We do try to talk about balance and knowing that a person can look great but there are filters and other things going on. But it can be hard to be around constant pressure to look a certain way,” added Ila.

Both Ila and Piper are experiencing the trials and tribulations of running a club. It’s a time commitment and it can be difficult to constantly show up, be open and lead a group through some uncomfortable moments.

“People don’t know what we talk about in our club or what Body Image is so it’s easy for [classmates] to make snarky comments or to be made fun of sometimes,” said Ila. “No one is really trashing or hating on us, but there are some little things out there. I think that comes with their own issues or judgments.”

“It’s not like Environmental Club where it’s stuff that everyone can agree on—it’s a lot more of a vulnerable and personal thing which can be a challenge,” said Piper.

But even through all of the ups and downs, the girls are committed and in it for the long haul– or at least until the end of their careers at SAAS.

“There is zero chance that I could have done this without having Piper,” said Ila as Piper nods in agreement. “We are kind of like a little team. It’s better. It’s both of us. For people [who are scared to] join a club, bring a friend with you and it will make a world of a difference.”

As summer is rapidly approaching and the club leaders enter into their final year at SAAS, they are starting to think about what is next. Next year, maybe take the club off campus and get involved with community service; beyond their senior year, they are brainstorming how to make a lasting impact with the students of SAAS.

“We have some freshmen that we’d like to see take over the club,” said Ila. “We don’t want Body Image Club to end with us.”

Ila and Piper are both interested in pursuing the sciences after SAAS; Ila wants to study psychology and mental health and while she doesn’t necessarily want to focus on self-esteem she knows with mental health, body image comes with it.

Piper is interested in pursuing biology, getting out in nature and doing field research but knows that as a human being, body image will undoubtedly be a part of her journey.

“I want to pursue sciences but body image will always be a passion of mine,” said Piper. “If there’s a body image club at my university, I will be there!”

Starting and managing a club has solidified Ila and Piper as leaders who have to exercise their bravery and openness every Monday morning.

“I am so much better at presenting in school now because we have to be so vulnerable. I’ve definitely learned the ins and outs of Canva,” laughs Piper. “But on a deeper note, it’s taught me a lot about community and how important it is to work with each other and that we’re never really alone in something.”

“This relatability that we all have with our body image has really helped my personal journey with my own body image,” said Ila. “The realization that we all experience similar things with our body image and that it’s okay and not scary and that I am not alone. It has definitely helped me through high school.”