Obesity will soon replace smoking as the nation’s leading preventable cause of death, said a report released Wednesday by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“An obese person is significantly above their normal height- weight ratio,” said Autumn Douglas, R.D. at the LSU Health Center. “Even students who are not overweight should be concerned. The poor eating and exercise habits that we develop when we are young will follow us into adulthood.”
Nationwide, obesity is not an issue to be taken lightly.
In 2002, 435,000 deaths were attributed to nicotine and 400,000 deaths were caused by obesity, the CDC study said. The research also reported that in the past decade, obesity related deaths have risen 33 percent while the number of Americans that smoke is decreasing.
Based on the current trend, by next year, obesity will be the leading preventable cause of death in America, said the CDC.
Students often ignore health issues that they feel are geared only toward adults, said Carol O’Neil, R.D. and director of the LSU undergraduate dietetics program.
“This is not merely an adult problem, “O’Neil said. “There is an alarming epidemic of young people becoming obese. Obesity-related diseases that most people consider to be to be adult diseases, like heart disease and high blood pressure, have their roots in adolescence.”
Certain behaviors could lower a student’s chances of being affected by the nationwide obesity epidemic.
Physical activity and proper nutrition are the proper behaviors to avoid becoming overweight or obese, Douglas said.
But, students complain that finding time to exercise is not an easy task.
“I always make an effort to fit exercise into my schedule, but some days, it is not possible,” said Carolyn Dunkle, an accounting sophomore. “I have a job and go to class five days a week.”
Better time-management is one solution suggested by Douglas.
“Write down in your calendar when you plan to go to the gym or take a walk each day,” Douglas said. “You should get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days. Try incorporating physical activity with social activities, such as dancing, bowling, or playing golf.”
Nutrition also can suffer when students are living hectic lifestyles, O’Neil said.
“College students by nature are very busy and often do not have the time to make healthy eating choices,” O’Neil said. “On campus, it is easier than most students think to seek out fruits and vegetables. Even at McDonald’s, there are choices on the menu that can be a part of a healthy diet.”
Regional culture could have an affect on a person’s weight.
Douglas said Louisiana has a reputation for being unhealthy.
“We are notorious for the predominance of food in our culture and the high prevalence of alcohol use,” she said. “Alcohol is so high in calories and has no nutritional benefits.”
Louisiana is the 5th unhealthiest state in regards to unhealthy lifestyles and high-fat diets, according to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Even in the wake of the CDC’s report, Douglas said a positive health trend could be forthcoming.
Student’s attitudes toward health are slowly changing for the better, said Douglas.
“There was a lot of media hype about fad diets, but in the past few weeks, I have had a huge increase in the number of students that seek me out to find the right way to be healthy,” Douglas said. “I tell them to get moving and take responsibility for what they put in their bodies. Life is all about moderation.”