Daytime Drama Star Takes on the Cause of Eating Disorders!
Melissa Archer, known to her fans as One Life To Live's Natalie Buchanan, explains why she is using her celebrity - and her feet - to focus attention on the issue of eating disorders
Melissa Archer, star of One Life to Live, is participating in the first annual walk for the National Eating Disorders Association, bringing attention to the issue of eating disorders, a cause she feels strongly about. Commitment spoke with Melissa about her involvement with this important cause.
Commitment: You are participating in the first national walk for the National Eating Disorders Association; what do you hope this walk achieves?
Melissa Archer: We hope to raise additional awareness to the diseases of bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorders. Many view these sicknesses as choices and we are always looking for ways to educate the public about these illnesses that plague over 10 million women and 1 million men across the country.
Commitment: What motivated you to get involved with this cause?
Melissa: I have always had an interest in spreading awareness of eating disorders because they can sometimes be the most silent and deceiving of diseases. They can be easy to hide in some cases. I feel as though the world we live in gives the message that only one type of body is ok and although eating disorders can come from trying to control a part of your life, the pressure of having to look perfect and have a perfect body can cause girls and boys alike to take drastic measures to reach that "goal." The message that should be more prominent is about being healthy and learning to love yourself. Instead of fixating on numbers and false images we should be looking at the how we feel and if we are taking care of ourselves.
Commitment: As an actress on a hit soap opera, how do you personally cope with the pressure to have the 'perfect body'?
Melissa: Being an actress definitely puts pressure on one to look a certain way, but the key is finding the healthy way to look one's best. Learning how to love me and my body has actually taught me how to develop a healthier lifestyle that keeps me fit, yet not trying to be someone else's image.
Commitment: What do you think needs to change in our society in order for women to feel good about their bodies and not succumb to eating disorders?
Melissa: We are in a society of aesthetics. Many of the gossip magazines focus on beauty or flaws. I don't believe there is anything wrong with having a great body or beautiful skin, but there is no such thing as the “ideal body.” I have been affected by the pressures society can put on us and the expectations that stem from the “ideal body image” that people can put in their heads. This can affect everyone, not just people who happen to be in the lime light. It can be a challenge for people (especially women) to be happy with the body they have but it is important to remember that there is no such thing as “ideal body image”. Being comfortable with who you are and going about it in a healthy way is the key to loving the body you have and giving it the respect it deserves.
Commitment: How can we as women help one another avoid eating disorders?
Melissa: We as women shouldn’t allow ourselves to get sucked into negativity that surrounds the “perfect body” or the “unhealthy body”. Catering to the hurtful remarks just adds fuel to the fire. We as women should encourage different ways that can lead to a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Commitment: What should we understand about eating disorders that would assist us in ensuring that more young women don’t succumb to this horrible disease?
Melissa: It is important for everyone to be aware that eating disorders simply exist and they are silent diseases that need to be addressed immediately. I feel that eating disorders are many times taken too lightly. If everyone stays educated about the effects of eating disorders and the early signs that surface than we can spread the awareness and help those seek the treatment they deserve. That is what this walk is all about.
To learn more about eating disorders, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.
To help Melissa raise funds for this important cause, visit her fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/melissaarcher.
