Many are hitting the gym to get the perfect spring break body, but some students are struggling to shed those recession pounds.In a quest to save money during tough economic times, more students are buying lower-priced food, and as a result, gaining weight from the increased consumption of cheaper junk and fast foods.”Research has shown that there is a link between obesity and socioeconomic status,” said Julie Hupperich, Student Health Center associate director. “A lot of college students turn to fast food restaurants and 99 cent menus. Those choices have lots of calories, carbohydrates and fats.”Some fast food chains have salads, fruits or other nutritious items on the menu, but those seem to be higher priced, she said.At McDonald’s, a premium salad with chicken has about 300-450 calories, while a less-expensive cheeseburger and French fries can have as many as 1,000 calories, depending on the size.But many students can save a great deal of money by preparing their own meals.”Be thoughtful when you go grocery shopping,” Hupperich said. “Clip coupons, and shop the sales. Students can buy in bulk with roommates because that’s always less expensive, especially for nonperishable foods like pasta and cereal.”The majority of one’s expenses when grocery shopping is on fresh produce and fresh cuts of meat, which tends to force students on low budgets to stock up on items like potato chips and snack foods for a lower price, Hupperich said.But buying produce that is in season is less expensive, she said. And to get the proper amount of protein from foods other than meat, students can stick to some of the lower-cost items like beans, eggs and rice.Students can also save money by purchasing store brands, like Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand, as opposed to national brands. These items are often made by the same company but just packaged differently.In the past, those of lower-economic status tended to weigh less because of lack of food. But today, with dollar menus and cheaper food options, poverty is associated more with obesity, Hupperich said.”When we talk about being overweight or obese, we talk about decrease in activity levels,” she said. “People who are of lower-economic status don’t have as much access to be physically active like [having] a gym membership.”But the University Student Recreational Complex is offering free fitness and nutrition assessments to students and faculty each Thursday, said Tricia Milford-Hoyt, University Recreation assistant director of marketing and membership.With the high-demand for this type of service, the UREC has created the “Healthy Lifestyles Suite” located on the first floor. Students can get advice from professionals about achieving a healthier lifestyle and gain information on various exercise programs.”As people’s schedules become more and more hectic, the first thing that falls out of their schedule is exercise,” Hupperich said. “If college students are impacted by the recession … I could see where they don’t have time to go to the UREC.”—-Contact Leslie Presnall at [email protected]