Workhardgetskinny. SpRiNg BrEaK 2k11. For Duke, spring break officially started Friday at 6pm. Spring break should be a time of low-stress, seven days of rest and relaxation. No classes, no homework due tomorrow, minimal responsibility. So, what comes to mind when you think of spring break? For me, it is warm weather, a time to relax on the beach or poolside with the hope of getting some color. It is a cherished time to recharge your batteries. However, on the flip side of that coin, spring break can also foster a lot of stress, not about classes and work but rather about one’s body, in a bathing suit. The planning and preparation for a week in the sun, in a bathing suit, must start weeks and even months prior to spring break. And as a result, the gym can get particularly crowded in the days and weeks leading up to spring break, as everyone tries to get into tip-top shape. The treadmills are constantly occupied, at an almost constant turnover rate. A single girl can occupy the elliptical for hours at a time, as fatigue and the pressure for that perfect body exist in constant competition.
“Oh my gosh I am so tired and bored. My playlist has already repeated three times. It is time to leave the gym and eat dinner.”
“Oh no, it’s not. No dinner. Spring break is in three days. Food is the enemy.”
Bikinis are certainly not very forgiving, so I can say I definitely understand the pressure to shed those last few pounds before being in a bikini in front of peers and classmates. So as the gym gets increasingly more crowded, the dining halls and restaurants seem to become increasingly more vacant. Food is Poison and Diet Coke is Love serve as sources of inspiration for many spring break dieters. Numerous websites and social networking sites too offer places for young people to gather and motivate each other to reach that ideal body in a matter of weeks. For college kids, spring break seems to serve as a time to showcase your perfect body, your perfectly tan, skinny, toned, flawless body. That idealized version of oneself seems to serve as the motivation for cutting back on calories and hitting the gym, in the days and weeks leading up to spring break. The bikini contests, the wet t-shirt contests and the MTV hit spring break shows only add fuel the fire.
Spring break itself as a cultural phenomenon embodies a certain desire to reach that ideal weight and look a certain way in a bikini in front of your peers and classmates. So as I leave for the Dominican Republic tomorrow morning at 7:00 am, I’ll let you know how I do on my spring break. Did I hit the gym as much as I should have? Was that candy and ice cream really worth it? The unforgiving stares of those too on SpRiNg BrEAk 2k11 will certainly not fail to let me know how if I pass the spring break test.
The need to get skinny for spring break seems to be growing into a national phenomenon--a very unhealthy one. In the weeks leading up to spring break I heard multiple friends mention to me that they were on a new "spring break" diet, or that they were going to the gym for longer than usual to burn off a bit of that tummy fat to feel confident in their bikini. Depleting the body of what it nutritionally needs never seems like a great solution. Rather, I believe the natural body form and shape should be embraced and celebrated for what it healthily is. This "getting skinny for spring break" phenomenon is a dangerous one for the physical and mental health of a woman and should not be promoted.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do understand where these girls are coming from, it is nice to feel confident and on top of the world in a bikini, sometimes it feels nice to "strut your stuff"!! :)
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