Coastal Carolina University is sponsoring Love Your Body Day on Wednesday, Oct. 21 on the Lib Jackson Student Center Deck from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness about health and body image issues for both men and women. The event is free and open to the public.

Love Your Body Day is a national event inviting citizens to speak out against industries (cosmetics, fashion, diet and food) that use negative images and ads that lead women to believe their bodies are unacceptable and in need of constant improvement. The main aim of the day is to protest beauty standards that are unrealistic and unhealthy for men and women, combat industries that profit from women’s dissatisfaction with their bodies, and break down stereotypes that discriminate against people based on their size and appearance. It is sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation.

Events on the CCU campus will include a belly dancing performance led by Roxanne Roundtree and the HipNotic Rhythm Belly Dance Troupe. Other activities include demonstrations of ballroom dancing, kickboxing and tai chi. There will also be Love Your Body Day buttons, light refreshments and presentations on nutrition, health and well being. The annual event is sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the Office of Counseling Services.

"Eighty percent of American women are dissatisfied with their bodies," said Julinna Oxley, director of the University’s Women's and Gender Studies programs. "Love Your Body Day is an opportunity to encourage people, both men and women, to respect their own bodies and recognize that every body is different. Ultimately, the idea is to encourage people to think for themselves about what is healthy and how they can be comfortable in their own skin.”

For more information about the event, contact the Office of Counseling Services at 843-349-2305.