2008 Woodie Awards
Packing on the pounds
Obesity reaching epidemic severity
By Rachel Seeman
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 2/24/06 Section: News
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The hands get wet and clammy, the eyes slowly squeeze shut; you finally step on the scale for the moment of truth.
The mind begins to wonder as the numbers steadily increase: Did skipping the gym the last week catch up with me already? Did my blatant disregard for my healthy diet affect me again?
People of all ages are concerned about their weight.
Obesity is a disease that affects about 60 million Americans, according to the American Obesity Association (AOA).
About 64.5 percent of the adult population in America today, roughly 127 million, is categorized as being overweight or obese.
This disease is related to 30 medical conditions, including arthritis, birth defects, cancers, cardiovascular disease, daytime sleepiness, diabetes, infertility, liver disease and stroke, according to AOA.
Heather Riggans and Steven Kurz, community health majors, researched the physical activity among students at SRU for their data management for health science course.
They found students who are physically active for at least 30 minutes to an hour, four or more times a week, are more conscious about healthy eating habits.
"If you want to stay physically fit, you're going to find ways to stay physically fit," Michaelene Gibson, a junior psychology major said. "It's by choice."
"To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you take in," according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).
Calorie intake depends on a person's age, activity level and whether or not they are trying to gain, maintain or lose weight, according to CDCP.
Being physically active will also help in reaching the goal.
Two other community health majors at SRU, Ashley Masters and Vernon Webb, researched weight gain among college students. They found that 70 percent of students have gained weight since coming to SRU.
The average weight gain was 15.5 pounds, but females tended to gain more than males.
Fast food, alcoholic beverages, stress and depression could be factors in student's weight gain.
"There is still a stigma against people who are obese," Holland said.
This affects their socialization. There are things that require physical activity that they can't participate in, she said.
"For some students, going to the gym can be very intimidating because of that stigma," Holland said.
According to AOA, thousands of people have lost weight and kept it off. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: dietary therapy, physical activity, behavioral therapy, drug therapy and surgery.
"A decrease in the amount of daily activity related to work, transportation and personal chores is believed to contribute to the high percentage of overweight and obesity today," AOA states on their Web site, www.obesity.org.
Physical activity declines as people age and take on more responsibilities with work and raising a family
"I think that for many of us, our jobs keep us at our desk," Carol Holland, chairperson of the SRU Counseling Center, said. "We don't get out and exercise as much. We don't tend to have as much free time."
