Coastal Carolina University will sponsor Love Your Body Day on Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Lib Jackson Student Center Deck. The annual event, which is intended to raise awareness of body image and health issues, is free and open to the public.

"Body image is an increasingly important issue these days," said Julinna Oxley, director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program. "The number of girls under 12 diagnosed with eating disorders is on the rise. The way people feel about their bodies is a result of social and cultural expectations of what they should look like. Love Your Body Day serves to build self-esteem among everyone, especially women, regarding their physical appearance, no matter what the magazines suggest. This year we are focusing on healthy eating, exercise and overall wellness."

The CCU event will include an introduction to the CCU Food Bank, Zumba exhibitions, featured entertainment, free healthy snacks, poster displays by health promotion students, free eating disorder screenings with a chance to win a Kindle Fire, and other fun activities to bring positive awareness to students at CCU.

Love Your Body Day is a national event that invites citizens to speak out against industries and ads that use negative images that lead women to believe their bodies are imperfect. The aim of the event is to challenge the stereotypes that discriminate against people based on the way they look. Love Your Body Day is sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation.

The event is sponsored by the CCU Wellness Coalition. For more information about the event, contact the counseling office at 843-349-2305.