WYSE Launches "Love Yourself Week" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 11, 2002 (Los Angeles) Encouraging women and girls to cherish their bodies, Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE) launched today "Love Yourself Week." This first-ever, nationwide initiative kicking off Valentine's Day week (Feb. 11-15, 2002), will unite women and girls to change how America judges beauty. Often, women who fall outside the measurements of a supermodel feel unattractive and unwanted on Valentine's Day. "Love Yourself Week" will focus on loving and respecting women of all sizes, shapes and colors, by challenging stereotypes of the "ideal" female body type. This movement was driven by middle school girls who participated in the WYSE program and were alarmed by the fact that over 80% of 4th grade girls have been on a diet at some point in their lives. WYSE organizers hope to dispel body myths and educate women and girls on how to lead healthy lifestyles. Ultimately, WYSE wants women to appreciate their own individual beauty, not just on Valentine's Day, but every day. "Whether or not they have someone to share Valentine's Day with, we want women and girls to be their own Valentine this year," says Mina Kim, WYSE Executive Director. "When we love ourselves we take better care of our bodies, which enables us to do more for the people around us." Proposed activities taking place across the nation in cities from Los Angeles to New York include: Dynamic group mentoring sessions where young girls learn about the beauty of their bodies. Thought provoking essay contests on topics relating to the portrayal of women in Hollywood, and the consequences of a poor body image, such as eating disorders and depression. Community activism projects, including a letter writing campaign, where young girls and their mentors will reject or applaud the media's portrayal of women and society's crippling stereotypes of "beauty". WYSE is a curriculum-based group and one-on-one mentorship program that pairs college women with middle school and high school girls. The program originated at UCLA in 1992 and serves schools in under-resourced communities. WYSE programs are found at ten universities across the nation, including UC Berkeley, Yale University and NYU. WYSE is guided by the women and girls it serves, as well as their Board of Directors that include Univision Executive Vice-President of Affiliate Relations Rich Goldberg and Honorary Board Member Congressperson Loretta Sanchez. For more information on the WYSE National Movement, please contact Soraya Hussain, 213-488-4942 or soraya@wyse.org