Call for Submissions: Anthology on Body Image

Far from passively reflecting society, advertisements and the media create an entire cultural worldview, shaping people’s attitudes and beliefs. The advertising industry is particularly insidious. In order to meet ever growing desire for profit, it needs to sell something that we don’t already have. We are constantly under a barrage of unrealistic and altered images from toys, adverts, and the world of celebrity. Our children are being taught that the greatest virtue is the possession of bodies that are physically unattainable for most people. It’s no wonder that many of us grow up to have distorted ways of thinking about our bodies and the food we put in them.

We believe that it is impossible to disconnect this phenomenon from the economic system in which it has arisen. Nor is it useful to ignore that this process is disproportionately targeted at women and other oppressed groups, often in different ways.

This anthology will focus on examining how these phenomena play out on our bodies and practical ways of providing support for ourselves and others. Possible topics of discussion include:

• Practical tips for managing eating disorders
• Analysis of how prevalent eating disorders are; how much they have become a part of normal female experience, and are fast becoming a normalised in other groups.
• Contrasts between feminist and medical models
• Examinations of how the economic and social drivers behind these processes
• Tips on being a good ally to people affected by eating disorders / other body image issues
• Intersectionality, the experiences of trans, BME and disabled people
• Reports on work already being done to combat these issues
• And other issues we haven’t thought of yet (we like surprises!)

We want to produce an accessible printed anthology of a range of academic and non-academic writing, including personal experiences, articles, poetry and artwork. Whether or not we self-publish or go to a publishing house will largely depend on the quality and amount of material we get.

Please send content proposals to nakedvegancooking[at]gmail.com by May 20th 2012, the deadline for finished articles will be in late July. Get in touch if you like the idea and have other suggestions of things you would like to read. Please share amongst your networks.