So you are trying to loose those extra pounds you gained while partying over spring break, but living the college life by going out to eat every other day isn’t helping anything.
Well, March is National Nutrition Month and The University of Memphis is taking part by educating students on eating healthy while watching out for unhealthy diets.
“Dieting is always a number one issue on campus with both guys and girls,” said Heather Rountree, nutritionist at The University of Memphis. “It has more to do with physique with the guys, like weightlifting, but it’s still an issue. Variety, balance and moderation of foods with physical activity are the keys to success to stay healthy.”
According to the American Dietetic Association, Americans spend $33 billion each year on weight loss programs, products and pills. Although the Internet, magazines and television all promote “healthy diets,” there are many fad diets that claim to work miracles, but are actually dangerous to healthy individuals.
Eatright.org lists several warning signs to a fad diet. A few include any diet that promotes limiting or excluding any food or food group, promotes quick weight loss, recommends or requires supplements, specifies what should be eaten at what time with no exceptions and diets that are short term.
“I started watching what I ate when I got to college,” said Casey Winn, freshman at The U of M. “It’s a lot harder to diet now than it used to be, but I want to stay in shape and maintain my figure so I’ll do what I have to, like exercise and eat healthy.”
Rountree said everyone has to eat to live though.
“Whether you eat to live or live to eat, eating food is a pleasuring experience and we need to optimize the food choices we make to allow ourselves to improve our attitude, mental and physical performance and even looks, besides our figure, like healthier hair, nails and skin.”
Eating healthy can only benefit, according to Rountree. Risks of heart disease, some cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes and high blood pressure can be lowered by choosing healthy foods.
“Eating Well on Campus,” a book by Ann Lit, illustrates dieting gimmicks many students tend to overlook. One is that all foods contain calories and if you eat or drink more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Another is that nothing you eat burns calories. Another is that grapefruit burns calories when eaten before a meal.
However, eating anything only adds calories. Grapefruit is a nutritious food choice, low in calories and filling, which is why it would be a great choice before a meal. Finally, diet pills, whose short-term effects are unknown and do not change poor eating behaviors, are another fad.
Rountree is available in the Student Health Center from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday through Friday. She offers information on therapeutic diets, exercise and weight loss by working with the student recreation and fitness center and any nutritional advice to questions students may have.
“I just want students to know that our services are free and that we are here for them,” Rountree said.
