PULLMAN – The male-body image poster series displayed around the WSU Pullman campus last spring earned Health and Wellness Services a bronze award and honorable mention in two national competitions.
The National Health Information Resource Center judged the HWS posters worthy of a bronze award in its 14th annual National Health Information Awards. Industry professionals who judged the competition awarded the HWS campaign after reviewing more than 1,000 entries.
The posters also earned honorable mention from the 2007 Communicator Awards, an international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communication field.
The research behind the poster series note: “In general, society believes that body image and eating disorders are primarily a woman’s issue. However, men can and do struggle with eating and exercise disorders, and body image. We still have little research and information on the effects of men with eating disorders. We do know the more body dissatisfaction a man has, the more willing he is to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders. Some men define their body satisfaction by the size of their muscles. Muscularity means they are masculine and have strength, power, respect, and confidence. This definition of masculinity can lead to unhealthy behaviors.”
“We are thrilled to win these awards, especially considering the high standards of the competitions,” said Timothy S. Freson, associate director of research for Health and Wellness Services. “We are honored that our work for this campaign has been recognized.”
The three-poster series was part of a larger campaign that aimed to increase awareness about eating and body image disorders among young males. Freson and Paula M. Adams of Health and Wellness Services, independent graphic designer Debby Stinson, and Erin Pratt, a 2007 WSU graduate, are credited with the production and design of the posters.
HWS placed the posters on Terrell Mall and other high-traffic areas of the WSU campus as well as corresponding advertisements in the Daily Evergreen throughout the 2006-2007 school year.
“We are currently evaluating the impact of the two-year campaign on awareness and knowledge around men and body image on the college campus,” Freson said.
To see more information on the campaign, click on the following link to http://www.hws.wsu.edu/EDPP/BI_EDPP/Men_BodyImage.html
