Tonight at 7 the Fashion Rocks and So Does My Body Show will celebrate all different body types, said Sheena Quizon, dietitian at the Student Health Center, and also one of the event’s coordinators.

The third Fashion Rocks will bring a relatable, human element to celebrate Body Appreciation Week, which is otherwise known as National Eating Disorders Week.  The Eating Disorders Strategic Team will host the show.

Quizon said she tried to recruit models of all shapes and sizes and more males than last year.  There are 8 million Americans suffering from an eating disorder, Quizon said, and this show will not only celebrate different body types but also raise awareness about eating disorders.

The models will wear two outfits of their own picking, and an emcee will share tidbits about each model, including their favorite parts of their bodies and personalities.

“The models will be able to strut their stuff and be able to be proud of their bodies,” Quizon said.  “The show will also focus on inner image.”

Will Nevin, a Ph.D. student in mass communication, is one of about five male models in the show.  He said he thinks it is important for people to have a positive self-image.  Nevin, whose blog, ducttapeweddingring.com, documents his weight-loss journey, has lost 150 pounds since the fall of 2009.  He said people don’t have to make such a dramatic transformation as he did to feel good about themselves.

“Life is too short, existence too fleeting to hate yourself and how you look,” Nevin said.  “We all need to take pride in ourselves — to look good and feel good about who we are, as we are.”

Amanda Winder, a junior majoring in nutrition and psychology in New College, is another model who once struggled with weight issues.  Even after losing more than 100 pounds in less than a year, Winder said she still had issues with self-confidence.  Last year she made up her mind to tell herself that she is beautiful and unique and to trust her words.

“I had to get up and tell myself every morning, ‘Amanda, this is your body and it will be what you make it to be,’” Winder said.  “‘There is not another one like it out there. You must have confidence in your body and trust that you are unique and beautiful in your own way.’”

Winder said she wanted to be in Fashion Rocks and So Does My Body to express her newfound confidence in her body.  Winder said all people should celebrate their bodies and not care what other may think or say.

“We must be confident in what we see in the mirror, and not envy someone else’s good fortune,” Winder said.  “I still have days when I feel insecure with myself, but then I am reminded to fight back.”

Faith Landers is a senior majoring in history.  Though she has never modeled before, she said this show appealed to her because she could show others that while beauty comes from within, it displays itself in physical appearance.

“By respecting my body and taking care of it, I am a better person to those around me,” Landers said.  “How can you truly encourage others if you don’t believe in yourself?”

Quizon said the show doesn’t want to single out a certain body type, such as curvy.  She said that media portrays the ideal woman smaller and smaller and that only 4 percent of women can naturally fit that mold.

Landers agreed that the media emphasizes striving for an unattainable body.

“People should celebrate their bodies because not doing so can lead to destruction,” Landers said.  “Nobody reflects back on life and is thankful that they spent countless hours agonizing over their looks.”

Quizon said she hopes people go away realizing that self-confidence and eating disorders are not just campus issues but nationwide issues.

“I will be really excited if people in the community come too and bring their daughters who are feeling self-conscious about their bodies,” Quizon said.

Nevin said that any weight loss goal is possible, as long as one possesses the will, drive and time to make the goals a reality.  However, he said the weight-loss conversation can wait until another day – now is the time to celebrate.

“This show is about feeling good for who you are, because no one should have to feel like they aren’t beautiful,” Nevin said.  “Because everyone is beautiful.”

Fashion Rocks and So Does My Body is tonight at 7 in the Ferguson Center Ballroom.