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For Immediate Release
February 6, 2003

Contact:
Anne Drouin
(207) 774-5801, ext. 3851

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

Web Site: http://www.martinspoint.org

Martin's Point Offers Workshop to Boost Self-Esteem, Body Image of Teenage Girls

'Go Girls!' session Feb. 20 in Brunswick will address

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Martin's Point Health Care is offering a free workshop to help bolster the self-esteem of teenage girls about issues such as body image, dieting and lifestyle.

In recognition of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Feb. 23-March 2), the confidential workshop, titled "Go Girls!," will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Martin's Point facility in Brunswick, located on Farley Road near Cook's Corner. All adolescent girls are welcome, but space is limited and reservations are welcome. For additional information, call the Martin's Point Health Education Center at 828-2497 or 1-800-260-6681.

"The program provides young women with the tools they need in the face of the tremendous influence of the media on one of the most pressing teen health issues: body image," said Joyce Sarat White, a Licensed Professional Counselor who will lead the Brunswick program. "It is impossible to grow up female today without worrying about weight, without sometimes apologizing for eating or restricting what you eat, or without 'feeling fat.' Girls are seduced by relentless messages from the culture that everyone wants to be thin, that being thin automatically endows you with perfection and confidence, and that they can change their bodies if they try hard enough."

Research has shown that up to 10 million women and girls - and another 1 million men and boys - have eating disorders, which include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, White said. Moreover, from 40 percent to 60 percent of high-school girls perceive themselves to weigh too much, with 15 percent considered "chronic dieters" - though two-thirds of them aren't overweight.

A key element of the "Go Girls!" workshop is a facilitated discussion in which participants explore their own body-image issues, as well as general principles about eating disorders and prevention and the connection between the media and self-esteem. The session also includes an in-depth look at how advertisements are developed and their underlying messages.

"Being dissatisfied with your size and shape extracts a high price from girls, affecting their self-esteem, their relationships with others, their performance in school - and their health," White said. "Programs like 'Go Girls!' can help them navigate the rocky road through adolescence and strengthen their self-confidence."

The presentation is part of an ongoing program at Martin's Point Health Care. "Go Girls!" will be held every third Thursday of the month at the Martin's Point location in Brunswick.

Martin's Point Offers Related Program for Adults

In addition to "Go Girls!," White will present a related program for adults from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, titled "Don't Diet, Live It!" The session, part of a series of Martin's Point programs called Weighty Issues, will help participants learn how to move away from the diet/eating disorder cycle to eating well and living well. All Weighty Issues sessions are $5, and registration is requested. For more information, call 828-2497 or 1-800-260-6681.

The Martin's Point Health Education Center has a variety of related resource materials that includes publications and videos. The center also offers information and classes that focus on a host of other topics, ranging from smoking cessation to disease management.

Established in 1981, Martin's Point is a not-for-profit health care provider with facilities in Portland, Brunswick and Windham, Maine, and in Portsmouth, N.H. Martin's Point has a staff of more than 300 health care professionals and serves 54,000 patients - including military retirees and dependents of active military personnel - under all major health plans.

Martin's Point serves patients in the areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, radiology, cardiology, and mammography, as well as other fields. For additional information, visit online at www.martinspoint.org.

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