White Pine Center for Healing Erie's Body Image

Mary Long

America's issues with body image are well-documented. Yes, obesity is disturbingly prevalent in the United States (42.4 percent of adults in 2017-18) and poses a host of health risks and complications. But at the same time, even those within a healthy weight range — women especially — struggle with accepting themselves and their bodies. 

National surveys on the topic revealed that 80 percent of women and 34 percent of men were dissatisfied with their looks. Over half of Americans reported not being happy with their current weight. It's no wonder that eating disorders affect nearly 1 out of 10 Americans at some point in their lifetime, and directly account for an average of 10,200 deaths a year, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

The relationship between mind and body is closely intertwined and all too often messily entangled. Erie's White Pine Center for Healing was established to help locals work through those knots, assisting in recovery from eating disorders (such as anorexia and bulimia), distorted body image (e.g. body dysmorphic disorder), weight stigmas, and trauma. White Pine will partner with local businesses, organizations, schools, and family centers to promote inner peace, balance, and sustainable change for the thousands of Erieites who contend with these issues daily.

A $6,000 marketing scholarship has helped White Pine spread its roots and extend its branches, used in brand development, promo materials, a website refresh, email marketing campaigns, blogging, and social media engagement. Behind all that hard work were creative partners Jenny Poff, Alex Lockwood, Visual Communications Consulting, and Aurora Exhibits. The new website debuts in tandem with National Eating Disorder Week (Feb. 22-28).

Next week, White Pine will turn its focus to social media, with a series of Facebook Live streams beginning at 11:30 a.m. daily.

• Monday, Mar. 1 — Eating Disorders: The Perfect Storm
• Tuesday, Mar. 2 — Types of Therapies That We Offer
• Wednesday, Mar. 3 — Gifts of Imperfections: Embracing Who You Are
• Thursday, Mar. 4 — Off.The.Cuff. Family Therapy
• Friday, Mar. 5 — The REAL Intuitive Eating Program

To learn more about the White Pine Center for Healing, its program, and its mission visit WhitePineCenter.org

Matt Swanseger can be reached at mswanseger@eriereader.com