Nearly every woman at some point in her life has hated or wanted to change her body for one reason or another. Reports indicate that 80 percent of women are dissatisfied with their appearance, and seven million women and girls struggle with an eating disorder in the U.S. My time came during my freshman year at college. I had always been on the thin side, because I was active in sports. In college, I stopped playing sports and instead engaged in partying, unhealthy cafeteria food, and just being plain lazy. I attended class and did my homework but made no time for the gym. I quickly found out what they mean by the "freshman 15."

While I never developed an eating disorder, I did develop a dislike for my body -- the same body I loved in high school for allowing me to play sports. I felt that my body had betrayed me: It gained weight. It gained flab. I was hurt, angry, and embarrassed. During my time at college, I got active in a sorority. It was here that I first learned about National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and End Fat Talk Week.

Speakers came to talk to us about being healthy and, more importantly, happy. It was then that I realized my body had not betrayed me, but I had let my body down. In that moment I realized I wasn't mad for putting on weight but because I had stopped doing what I loved -- playing basketball and being active.

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder; therefore, it is only appropriate that this year's theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody."

Eating disorders are prevalent and dangerous. Studies show that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The good news is that eating disorders are treatable; unfortunately, most cases go unreported. Help spread awareness by tweeting with us all week and participating in our tweet chat on Feb. 29 at 4:00 pm ET. Let your friends and family know how beautiful they are, and let's redefine what beauty really is. #LoveYourBody

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has a new 30-second clip featuring a young woman suffering from the made-up condition "BWVAKTBOOM" (Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom Out of Me). Watch at your own risk (or better yet, DON'T): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0vQOnHW0Kc

I am thoroughly outraged and offended at this clear trivialization of intimate partner violence. Lisa Lange, a senior vice president for PETA, told Yahoo News that the clip is meant to be humorous.

"The piece is tongue-in-cheek," she said. "People who watch the ad all the way through see the woman has a mischievous smile. She's happy to go back with him. It's playful." Given the subtlety of her reaction, some viewers may miss her happiness to go back with him.

In addition to the posted clip, PETA went further on its website by adding a place for victims of "BWVAKTBOOM" to learn how to "play it safe." Videos have also been uploaded to PETA's YouTube channel from people sharing their "victimization." This is in poor taste.

If an alcohol distributor aired an advertisement of a woman with two black eyes washing dishes over a kitchen sink while her boyfriend sat in a recliner drinking a beer, and blamed her injuries on the alcohol, we would all be outraged. What is the difference between that hypothetical spot and PETA's spot?

It is obvious to me that their intention of being "humorous" did not take into account that this video could be particularly disturbing to victims of domestic violence. As a survivor of domestic violence, viewing the clip instantly transported me back to a moment when I was lying on my couch covered in blood, with my ex-husband standing on top of me and my child, just feet away, screaming and crying. PETA clearly does not value the suffering of millions of survivors of intimate partner violence.

Domestic violence is a crime, a serious one. Every day women are killed by their intimate partners. Every day a child loses their mother. Every day friends and family lose loved ones. Domestic violence is not funny and should not be taken lightly. PETA's "playful" clip adds to society's disregard for women's safety and lacks respect for those mourning the loss of a loved one.

I am extremely disappointed in PETA and hope they consider making a public apology to survivors of intimate partner violence and their families.

Undoubtedly, you have heard: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops want to take birth control coverage away from all women under the Affordable Care Act.

Unfortunately, you probably heard about that from men. Think Progress released research last week showing that the major cable networks invited nearly twice as many men as women to discuss the fight for contraceptive coverage.

When women aren't called upon to discuss the realities of our lives, we are left with men discussing the contents of our medicine cabinets as if they were "culture wars" or "assaults on religious freedom." (For the record: Women's bodies are not cultural commodities, and any meaningful freedom of religion requires freedom from an imposed religion.)

So here are five big facts on birth control not nearly enough discussed by men in the mainstream media:

1. Contraception is basic health care. Virtually all women use birth control at some point in their lives, and that includes 98 percent of Catholic women. A majority supports contraceptive coverage, including a majority of Catholic hospital employees.

2. This "controversy" has awfully strange timing. 28 states already provide for coverage of contraceptives.

3. Churches already have an out. 335,000 religious institutions, including Catholic churches, may refuse to provide contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

4. Contraceptive coverage makes a difference for women. One of three women say they struggle to afford birth control.

5. This is sex discrimination. More than a decade ago the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that an employer's failure to cover contraceptives is a violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Late last week, President Obama announced a compromise that allows religiously affiliated institutions to not pay for contraceptive coverage, while still ensuring that every woman gets equal access to this basic medical care(private insurance companies will pay).

Yet the bishops continue to attack, revealing their true aims: It's not about Catholic dollars and "religious freedom," it's about refusing all women coverage for birth control. It's up to women to speak the truth about our health and lives.

This post is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival on protecting birth control coverage

The buzz around the NOW office is that the most sexist ads appearing during this year's Super Bowl were the Teleflora ad, which promoted the idea that men should expect sex from women if they buy them flowers, and the Fiat ad, which depicted a hot car as a sexually provocative woman.

While there's plenty more to gripe about (yes, you again Go Daddy), rather than putting together a lengthy analysis of all the Super Bowl ads, we're going to throw open the question to you:

What ads did you like or dislike based on their portrayal of women or other groups that are often degraded for laughs and exploited to sell products?

Up until the time I came to college, my life revolved around basketball. As the youngest of three, I watched my brother and sister play. When my father coached my sister, he brought me along and let me participate in the drills. I could not wait to grow up and be big enough to play on a team. Sports are a fundamental part of our society and are essential to character development. Today is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and this year marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which addresses sexism in public education, including athletics program.

I cannot imagine my life without sports. Playing on a team has taught me crucial life skills that you do not learn in the classroom. Sports introduce children to the concepts of teamwork and a common goal. As they get older, they learn how to respect their coach, teammates, officials, and opposing players. They learn about rules and fairness. They learn how to deal with conflict on and off the court. They see the value of hard work and determination. And most importantly, they have fun.

Playing sports has been a critical component of my life so far. It was the deciding factor when I chose high schools and is the deciding factor for a lot of athletics when choosing a college. Never during my seven years of playing on a school team did I realize the significance of Title IX. Looking back, it saddens me that it took so long for Title IX to happen, almost fifty years after women won the right to vote.

Since the initiation of Title IX, there have been vast improvements in collegiate and high school athletics, however, not nearly enough. Young women in high school still have 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than their counterparts. Moreover, women are still facing disparity in pay, healthcare, and constitutional equality. While we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day and the 40th anniversary of Title IX, we continue to work for true equality.