Women’s Health Issues: The College Years B · 2013-08-27 · Women’s Health Issues: ......
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© Prepared for our institution by PaperClip Communications. Reproduced or retransmitted under license with PaperClip Communications. Women’s Health Issues: The College Years Daily: B eing in college is a period of tremen dous growth with many exciting opportunities. College women are pulled in a variety of directions, often making it difficult to balance their lives. They rarely spend much energy on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, addressing person al safety issues, and putting safeguards in place to help prevent illness later in life. Add behavioral choic es and pressures surrounding the use other drugs, smoking, nutrition, and s and things can get pretty hairy. But, they don’t have to! Many college women practice good health habits that lead to successful stu dent and professional careers. Knowledge is power. Help your student educate herself and take responsibility for her physical, mental, and emotional health. Taft College in Taft, California offers the following health checkli for women on their Student Services webpage: st of alcohol and exual activities ■ Exercise for at least 20 minutes ■ Protect yourself from the sun by using sunscreen and dress ing appropriately ■ Watch your fat intake ■ Eat 23 servings of protein, 611 servings of grain, 35 servings of veggies, and 24 servings of fruit ■ Be aware of your alcohol intake ■ Maintain a healthy level of stress Monthly: ■ Perform a breast self examina tion ■ Perform a full body examina tion to look for unusual moles or skin conditions and changes in teeth, gums, or tongue ■ Maintain a healthy weight Yearly: ■ Have a dental checkup 12 times a year ■ Have an eye exam, especially if you experience problems or visual changes ■ Have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked ■ Have a pelvic exam and Pap test every 13 years ■ Get a flu shot Source: www.taft.cc.ca.us/newtc/studentservices/ health/women_issues.htm Body Image & College Women Although women of all ages experience dissatisfaction with the appearance of their bodies at some time in their life, body image issues seem to be most prevalent in women age 25 and younger. Many women come head to head with body image problems during their college years. According to The College Women’s Handbook, this could be because: ■ Students in college are taught to analyze and scrutinize everything they read, hear, and see. ■ College is a time of selfexploration. This often includes coming to grips with some tough stuff… for some, it can be easier to focus on what they look like on the outside, rather than what’s going on inside. ■ Most fashion magazines, media messages and images are targeted to this age group. ■ Being a perfectionist in college is not only socially acceptable but often socially desirable. ■ College women bond over body issues and self criticism; dieting and exercising together are common, which often reinforces insecurities. ■ There is a lot of pressure to make a good first impression—over and over again. Arriving on campus as a new student, applying for jobs and internships, trying out for the school play, rushing sororities, and meeting significant others make women feel as though they have to look perfect. Having a healthy body image is okay. So is worrying about how you look. But, when this turns into an obsession, negative behaviors can result. Eating disorders are a real problem for many women in college You can help your student develop positive selfesteem by focusing on all of her strengths and talents. Encourage her to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes eating nutritionally, exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest and relaxation, and having fun—no matter how stressful daily college life can get. Source: The College Women’s Handbook by Rachel Dobkin & Shana Sippy (1995) PAPERCLIP COMMUNICATIONS 73 125 Paterson Ave. • Little Falls, NJ 07424 • 973.256.1333 • Fax 973.256.8088 • www.PaperClip.com • Copyright 2007
Transcript of Women’s Health Issues: The College Years B · 2013-08-27 · Women’s Health Issues: ......
©
Prepared for our institution by PaperClip Communications. Reproduced or retransmitted under license with PaperClip Communications.
Women’s Health Issues: The College Years
Daily:
B eing in college is a period of tremendous growth with many excitingopportunities. College women arepulled in a variety of directions, oftenmaking it difficult to balance theirlives. They rarely spend much energy
on maintaining
a healthy lifestyle, addressing person
al safety issues, and putting safeguards in place tohelp prevent illness later in life. Add behavioral choices and pressures surrounding the use other drugs, smoking, nutrition, and sand things can get pretty hairy.But, they don’t have to! Many
college women practice good healthhabits that lead to successful student and professional careers.Knowledge is power. Help yourstudent educate herself and take responsibility for her physical,mental, and emotional health. Taft College in Taft, California
offers the following health checklifor women on their Student Services webpage:
st
of alcohol andexual activities
■ Exercise for at least 20 minutes ■ Protect yourself from the sunby using sunscreen and dressing appropriately
■ Watch your fat intake ■ Eat 23 servings of protein, 611servings of grain, 35 servingsof veggies, and 24 servings offruit
■ Be aware of your alcohol intake ■ Maintain a healthy level ofstress
Monthly:
■ Perform a breast self examination
■ Perform a full body examination to look for unusual moles or skin conditions and changesin teeth, gums, or tongue
■ Maintain a healthy weight Yearly: ■ Have a dental checkup 12
times a year ■ Have an eye exam, especiallyif you experience problems orvisual changes
■ Have your blood pressure and cholesterol levelschecked
■ Have a pelvic exam and Pap test every 13 years ■ Get a flu shot
Source: www.taft.cc.ca.us/newtc/studentservices/health/women_issues.htm
Body Image & College Women Although women of all ages experience dissatisfaction with the
appearance of their bodies at some time in their life, body image issuesseem to be most prevalent in women age 25 and younger. Many womencome head to head with body image problems during their college years.According to The College Women’s Handbook, this could be because: ■ Students in college are taught to analyze and scrutinize everythingthey read, hear, and see.
■ College is a time of selfexploration. This often includes coming togrips with some tough stuff… for some, it can be easier to focus onwhat they look like on the outside, rather than what’s going oninside.
■ Most fashion magazines, media messages and images are targeted tothis age group.
■ Being a perfectionist in college is not only socially acceptable butoften socially desirable.
■ College women bond over body issues and self criticism; dieting andexercising together are common, which often reinforces insecurities.
■ There is a lot of pressure to make a good first impression—over andover again. Arriving on campus as a new student, applying for jobsand internships, trying out for the school play, rushing sororities,and meeting significant others make women feel as though theyhave to look perfect.Having a healthy body image is okay. So is worrying about how you
look. But, when this turns into an obsession, negative behaviors canresult. Eating disorders are a real problem for many women in collegeYou can help your student develop positive selfesteem by focusing
on all of her strengths and talents. Encourage her to lead a healthylifestyle that includes eating nutritionally, exercising regularly, gettingplenty of rest and relaxation, and having fun—no matter how stressfuldaily college life can get.Source: The College Women’s Handbook by Rachel Dobkin & Shana
Sippy (1995)
PAPERCLIP COMMUNICATIONS
73 125 Paterson Ave. • Little Falls, NJ 07424 • 973.256.1333 • Fax 973.256.8088 • www.PaperClip.com • Copyright 2007
