To help combat poor body image among college students, Sacramento State is taking part in its seventh Love Your Body Week.

The week aims to educate students and provide them with tools and resources to develop a healthy body image and bolster self-esteem.

Junior psychology major Jaimee Ohlandt, believes bringing people together during this week can be helpful to those who feel alone.

“Many people that struggle with (body image issues) think they’re the only one,” Ohlandt said. “Bringing awareness to the issues is really important, especially here.”

Ohlandt said college can be very competitive when it comes to comparing our bodies to other people.

“(Students) leave high school and go into college, thinking all the high school drama is over, but it’s just more subtle,” Ohlandt said. “I’ve heard people gossip on campus. I passed some girls and you hear them say, oh that girl looks so fat. Well, that girl might have heard them.”

Senior child development major Kelsey Riddle, said she was bullied by classmates when she was younger because of her body. Comments about being underweight or too skinny affected her self-esteem.

“If you’re not happy with who you are or what you look like or your weight, you’re not going to go anywhere. Everything falls back when you’re unhappy. You don’t do well at school or your relationships,” Riddle said. “People shouldn’t have to go through this.”

Ohlandt believes college students are constantly exposed to what media depicts as the perfect body, making it difficult for them to maintain a healthy self-image.

“I think there’s always a stereotype of college students – sororities, football players and mini-skirts,” Ohlandt said. “(College is) over sexualized in the media. (The way the media) portrays college students is so glamorized. You never see a T.V. show about college students where people aren’t super fit, or tan.”

Events like Love Your Body Week strive to create a positive environment to work on building self-esteem.

Senior psychology major Daniel Godinez said he has improved his self-image since attending Sac State.

“I think college helped me be more accepting of my body,” Godinez said. “But I do think there’s a bias for overweight and even underweight people,” Godinez said.