On Thursday, Sept. 20, Cabrini University held its third National Undergraduate Conference on Body Image, featuring keynote speaker Debbye Turner Bell, DVM, the third African-American woman to be crowned Miss America—a title she acquired in 1989 (as the 1990 Miss America) in Atlantic City, NJ.
“It might seem counterintuitive to have a pageant girl as a speaker at a Body Image Conference,” she said, before recounting her experience with losing weight for the competition.
After the Executive Director of the Miss America pageant called Turner Bell to his office to discuss her potential to win Miss America if she lost another five to 10 pounds, she essentially stopped eating.
“I was the thinnest of my life,” she said. “And I starved myself in order to get into competition weight and size. That’s part of the issue that we’re here to talk about. I went to extreme measures to get to a size and weight that simply was not natural for the body I was given.”
From following an unhealthy diet to taking appetite suppressants to practicing extreme exercise routines, Turner Bell did everything she could do to fit into the narrow mold of what was expected as a contestant in the Miss America pageant, she said.
“I’m so thrilled now that the contestants who competed this year at the pageant didn’t have to go through that … for the first time, they didn’t have to wear a swimsuit to win a scholarship.”
Debbye Turner Bell teaches the audience different pageant waves
The new era of Miss America 2.0 reflects a greater inclusiveness, according to its website. At the creation of the program, it was considered to feature women who were the ideal images of beauty. Eventually, scholarships were awarded to pageant winners. And when Turner Bell competed, it was one of the largest televised events, second only to the Super Bowl. Although the nation is split on the decision to eliminate the swimsuit competition, Turner Bell believes that it is a positive step in our society.
“Body shaming is rampant, it’s all part of this culture of expectation to be something that’s impossible,” she said. “We hurl insults and judge and analyze without thinking how people feel. [Body shaming] is rooted in a malicious system where differences are demonized and marginalized and mocked. My message to you is, don’t play the game and don’t buy into the insensitive and mean standards. Don’t be complicit. If you want to shame someone, shame them for being prejudiced, biased, for being mean, abusive, insensitive, selfish, or unkind.”
Using examples of larger societal issues that we currently face in our country, Turner Bell urged students and other audience members not to waste time talking about others’ appearances. Our bodies are meant for health and function, not for beauty.
“I have a news flash for you. Noses are not for beauty, they’re for breathing,” Turner Bell said, creating laughter in the audience. “Legs are for walking, skin is for protection, eyes are for seeing. Our bodies are the most superior machine ever created.”
“I promise you, 100 years from now, no one will talk about your hair, complexion, and clothes, but instead they will talk about your mark on society, your innovation, creativity, compassion, kindness … those are the things that last.”