UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lexie and Lindsay Kite, identical twin sisters and co-founders of the nonprofit organization Beauty Redefined, will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the HUB-Robeson Center's Freeman Auditorium as part of Penn State’s Love Your Body Week.
The talk, hosted by Penn State Health Promotion and Wellness, the Gender Equity Center, and the Panhellenic Council, will focus on enhancing positive body image in the face of today’s media, which often portrays unhealthy beauty messages.
Inspired by 10 years of collective doctoral-level research in media and body image, the sisters’ presentation examines the current landscape of the media and the ways in which it dangerously impacts the self-worth of young people, particularly women.
According to the Beauty Redefined website, “Studies today show that women in media are thinner than ever and often severely underweight. In a world where a constant flow of media images far outnumbers women we could ever see face-to-face, this unrealistic ideal has become the norm in our minds. When females grow up believing their worth comes from being looked at, and “beauty” comes in one unattainable form, female progress is stunted.”
The one-hour talk will showcase real-world examples of beauty messages targeting men and women and provide attendees with positive strategies to enhance their feelings of self-worth, acceptance and empowerment. The talk reinforces the Beauty Redefined mantra “You are more than just a body. See more. Be more”
The talk, funded by the Laura R. Whitaker Fund, is open to all Penn State students, staff and faculty members, as well as members of the Penn State community
The Kite sisters’ presentation is one of several events taking place at Penn State between Oct. 23-27 as part of Love Your Body Week. Also scheduled at University Park are daily information tables in the HUB and Intramural Building featuring materials about self-confidence, body-positive affirmations, fitness, nutrition and healthy living.
To learn more about Lexie and Lindsay Kite and Beauty Redefined, visit https://beautyredefined.org. Additional information about Love Your Body Week, including a schedule of activities at Penn State, can be accessed on the Healthy Penn State website.
Health Promotion and Wellness and the Gender Equity Center are units of Penn State Student Affairs.