Fast-food Lifestyle Weighing on Campus

Fast food is not only fast, but extremely convenient for college students. The dining commons aren’t open late after a fun full-filled night of partying, so, where to turn? McDonalds! That is usually the answer many students will turn to. Obviously, fast food is not the healthiest food choice, but sometimes displays itself as the only option to quench student’s hunger resulting in college weight issues.

When the movie Super Size Me hit box offices it gave many students a heads up on the caloric number of what they are willingly putting in their bodies. After one month of eating McDonalds (fast food), more and more people became aware of the visual affects fast food has on your body. Although, many overachieving, busy students do not have any other option because they are always on the run.

"I have had a number of students express concern about the lack of availability of healthy snacks and that there seems [to be] too much availability of unhealthy choices," said eating disorder specialist, Valerie Staples.

Unlike the Westfield State College campus, many colleges and universities have fast food chains as there main options for eating, whereas we have Subway which is considered health(ier) on our flex meal plan. 98% of students who live on campus have a flex meal plan, and sometimes all the mouth watering options are too hard to resist.

“Recent statistics show that Subway averaged between 800 and 900 on-campus transactions a day, Burger King, 700 transactions and Sbarrro, roughly 600 transactions. In addition, approximately 50 percent of those stores' revenue comes from flex point usage.”

The worst part is, students are aware of the unhealthy values of these chains, but eat it knowingly. Athletes are more apt to make healthier eating choices, but as for the rest of us, if it is set right in front of us, we’ll eat anything. Therefore, I believe that college campuses should limit their fast food options and replace them with co-ops, whole food stores or something/ANYTHING more nutritional.

(http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2004/09/09/News/FastFood.Lifestyle.Weighing.On.Campus-713932-page2.shtml)

Domestic Violence Among High School, College Students is Alarming

(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/377942/domestic_violence_among_high_school.html)

Domestic is prevalent in the college and high school atmosphere, and is an ongoing problem. Teenagers and college student are often unsure of what a healthy relationship with a partner is, rather than what seems to be considered “normal”. Domestic violence consists of sexual abuse, rape, pushing, slapping, punching, stalking, as well as emotional abuse.

Stith, a nationally recognize domestic violence expert says that 30 percent of college students have been in relationships that involve physical aggression, and even more in emotional abuse. One in four high school students claim to be in emotionally abusive relationships. The Alabama Coalition against Domestic Violence (ACADV) says that college and high school counts of domestic violence are equally disturbing. Date rape is 67% of cases involving sexual abuse.

The question remains: why does domestic violence occur most commonly in the teenage and early twenty areas? Well, the triggers at this age are usually caused by the inability to understand how to control ones anger, stress, and are usually found in highly intense relationships. Many people stuck in these ruts with their partners find it very hard to get out of this type of relationship. They feel like they do not deserve anything better, and they feel that this type of behavior is acceptable. For example, when one partner gets absurdly jealous, and acts in rage, the other partner may find this to be an act of love. In some cases, males try to have a macho persona, therefore they want to be in control of the relationship to appear superior to their peers, especially at this age.

“We cannot minimize violence against women. Make violence is more likely to cause serious injury and death,” suggests Stith.

Domestic violence happens to both male and females, the only difference is the physical difference. In most cases, males are more apt to defend themselves, whereas females are not. This may be why women get away with domestic violence versus males.

A healthy relationship means to feel proud of yourself and your partner. If one wants help, there are not too many places to turn. The New York’s office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence is a school where people are supporting/give advice to people who seek help if they are in a violent relationship and do not know where to turn. From what I gather, college and high school relationships are new to teens, and they have not had much experience caring for a significant other. This may lead to confusion on how to handle certain situations.

Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle

After reading the article, Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle, you will be more aware of why sitting on your butt all day could be a matter of life and death. Everyone loves to sit down and relax and watch television, but your leisure time should be put to better use if you want to be physically fit and healthy. The effects of inactivity can be drastic especially in the close corners of your dorm. When a mini fridge and a television are constantly an arm length away, being lethargic can seem quite appealing.

Many people may be aware that they are not in a physically fit body, which is easy to distinguish, but it is the matter of getting up and taking charge of your health, which many people fail to do so. ‘Around 300,000 deaths occur annually due to inactivity and poor diet habits, and less active adults are more prone to heart disease, chronic ailments, colon cancer, and type two diabetes.’ 300,000 is a large amount of people to die from such a lazy mans disease. The article also states that young adults are more active than older adults, which is definitely reasonable and acceptable: by the age of 75, fifty percent of women take part in no physical activity as well as thirty-three percent of men. African Americans suffer more from inactivity than the average Caucasian. Also, people that are less physically active have a weaker support system from their family and friends. Most affluent people are more active rather than the less affluent people. Around 18 million people have had, or developed, type-two diabetes which is a huge health expense.

I can see how physically inactive people would want to change their lives around, but it really depends on if they are actually willing to change there lifestyle, which could be very difficult. College students tend to be lazy with their days consisting of: class, dining commons, class, nap, class, nap, dining commons. Just be careful, because it could catch up to you faster than you realize! Physical activity whether it be mowing your lawn or running five miles is a key component to a healthy lifestyle.

(http://fitness.suite101.com/article.cfm/deadly_cost_of_physical_inactivity)

Victimization of College Students Up Suicide Risk

Victimization among college campuses always prevails, whether it be hidden or right in front of you. College students are constantly being exploited for several reasons such as race, gender, heritage, religion etc. Being victimized can royally ruin one’s self esteem and feelings of self-worth, which can serve several consequences, as drastic as suicide. One bump in a person’s "wellness wheel" can hurt more than many students may realize.

A study was conducted by Heather Murphy who attends the University of Washington, which showed that being victimized because of sexual orientation is a chief risk factor for suicidal behavior among gay, lesbian and bisexual college students. A group of students that went unrecognized were those who identified themselves to be heterosexual but also admitted to being attracted to the same sex as well as engaged in same-sex behavior. These group of students surveyed were three times as likely as heterosexuals to have made a plan to commit suicide in the past year and six times more likely to have actually attempted suicide in the same period whereas gay, lesbian and bisexuals were only two times as likely as heterosexuals to have attempted suicide in the past year. She had also constructed a survey with 86 questions that were answered by 500 undergraduate UW students. 56 students claimed to have considered suicide in the past twelve months. 12 attempted suicide. This study was provoked by a suicidal youth who asked Murphy if "it got better in college". Afterward, she needed to know the answer.
For further information Murphy recruited 528 participants-404 heterosexuals, 79 same-sex attracted heterosexuals, 38 gays, lesbians and bisexuals, and 7 who said they were not sure of their sexual identity. The students ranged from 17 to 26, and 63 percent were female. The study showed that gay, lesbian and bisexuals and the sam-sex-attracted heterosexuals obviously experienced more verbal and physical victimization than heterosexuals did.

"‘There is a lot of hype that gay kids are more suicidal," she said. "My study shows that this is not so. In my study, being victimized for being gay was the risk factor that increased suicidal- behavior risk.'"

Mainly, heterosexuals that engaged in same-sex behavior were extremely afraid of coming-out and wanted to remain in the main stream of people which caused a lot of tension, confusion, and frustration in their lives which upped their risks of suicide.

Be careful of what you say and do to people. You don't want to be a contributing factor in a person's decision.

Motivation

Becoming a mentally motivated person surely goes hand in hand with success. For college students, many find that it is hard to find the proper motivation to excel. The article 9 Tips to Mental Toughness, by Garret J. Braunreiter, helps the everyday person become aware that the mind is a key component in the body’s physical condition.

In 9 Tips to Mental Toughness, Braunreiter explains that it takes more than self-convincing in order to become mentally tough. You have to believe in yourself, and if you do not think that you are able to overcome something, then you won’t be able to overcome it. As Braunreiter would say, “You are greater than anything that can happen to you.” Being mentally strong is not something you’re born with, it is a trait that you can create yourself.

The first tip is to listen to the experts. This means that the best way to learn something new is to research people who have actually conquered your goal. This also shows you that if someone else can do it than you are just as capable. The second tip is, no pain no gain, vs. patience, pacing and persistence. Tip two includes that nothing stops winners from winning, not even failure, not even pain. Also, pace yourself, because slow and steady wins the race. In order to attain your goal it may take longer than you assume, but keep at it. Number three, think. Thinking is a key. Be positive when assessing your daily routine and think about what can be improved. Do not get down on yourself. Getting comfortable with the unfamiliar is the fourth tip, meaning, change your routine up. The same routine everyday can get overly excessive and repetitive resulting in boredom. Fifth, think and speak well of your health. This means don’t dwell on pain and aches, its normal-no excuses are necessary. The last four tips include: Don’t be a victim of ads and fads; hang out with people who have similar goals, focus on desired results, and to expect the unexpected, which are all pretty self-explanatory.

Getting down on yourself can mentally wear and tear you apart. Motivation is very hard to find in the high stressed atmosphere of college life. Tests, exams, papers, and homework balanced with a social life can negatively affect students, but with proper motivation students may find it easier to overcome daily obstacles. It is easy to fall into the “I don’t have time,” and the “I’m too tired” routine, but you cannot fall into that trap. Some of the tips Braunreiter gives can be very obvious, yet always good reminders to people who are interested in being mentally and physically motivated/active. After all he is the “energy coach”.

STDs among college students on the rise

(http://media.www.coscampusonline.com/media/storage/paper1137/news/2008/10/01/News/Stds-Among.College.Students.On.The.Rise-3463905-page2.shtml)

“An estimated 50% of people will have an STD in their lifetime.” Unprotected sex is unfortunately more common than you think among college students. A fifty percent chance of having an STD is insanely high, and although they may be curable, they can ruin your life. "The best way to prevent STDs is abstinence, but that won't happen because people are in too much of a hurry to have sex," said COS student Eddie Hernandez. We live in a sexual decade and from media to fashion everything is sexualized.

There are 25 known STDS but the most common ones transmitted are Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and the Human Papillomavirus. The Center for Disease Control claims that 70,000 people get Gonorrhea each year! The symptoms of Gonorrhea for males include burning sensation when urinating, white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. For woman, if there are any signs at all, they include burning during urination, excessive discharge, bleeding in between periods, and can also sometimes lead to Pelvis Inflammatory Disease which can possibly result in etopic pregnancy, which is when the baby develops in your fallopian tube. Epititis can also be caused by Gonorrhea which results in infertility for males. Chlamydia is known as the silent STD. ¾ of woman do not show any symptoms and ½ of men with Chlamydia have no symptoms either. Chlamydia can be transferred from mother to baby during pregnancy. Also, for women it causes fevers, vaginal discharge, lower back pain, and nausea. For men, it causes burning around the penis, and discharge. Luckily, Chlamydia can be cured and treated with antibiotics. Lastly, HPV is the most common of sexually transmitted diseases. There are several strings of HPV, some easily curable others not. Usually, HPV naturally cures itself if you stay healthy and your immune system is functioning properly. HPV can lead to cervical cancer and also cause genital warts. Men cannot get HPV, although they can carry it, and pass it on. Gardasil is the most recent shots generally given at your doctors’ office. It requires three shots, and prevents most strands of HPV. It is not required to have, but highly recommended.

Many schools teach sex education classes, but, even being the most educated person in the world, now sex is a top priority and many people do not think to use the proper contraception. Other people are often scared to talk to someone about their sexually transmitted disease or their genital abnormalities which generally continues to spread to others. Liberal clinics like Planned Parenthood are very important in today’s society, especially for people with medical and financial issues. With such high statistics on the most prevalent STD’s such as Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, & Human Papillomavirus, students especially should be more precautious while having sexual intercourse.

Tanorexia

(http://cancer.about.com/od/skincancermelanoma/a/tanorexia.htm




As we know, everyone loves to be tan for one reason or another. Are you a tanorexic? It used to be a girl thing, but now you even see guys wanting to get their “winter tan” on in the booths and beds, here’s why:

There was a study done at Wake Forest College in 2006 that proved tanning to be addictive. People form an addiction to the UV rays and experience what seems to be a high, like one would experience from a drug. The study consisted of students from Wake Forest following 8 people who tanned around eight to fifteen times a month, and following a second group that tanned less than twelve times a year. There were two types of beds used during this experiment, a bed with non-UV rays and a bed with UV rays. When the chronic tanners tanned in the non-UV ray beds, they experienced withdrawals, as would a drug addict being withheld from drugs. This helped prove that tanning is euphoric in the sense that the UV rays effect the production of endorphins, which are the chemicals released from the brain to produce a exhilarated feeling in ones body. It also reduces the pain we feel, like a drug would.

So why do people obsessively tan when they know all the consequences behind it? They’re addicted. The effects of tanning can be hazardous and lead to melanoma, other cancers, and in rare cases, death. When your skin gets darker it is damaging the skin cells, and it turns darker to act as a protective shield. The only safe way to still look glamorously tan is bottled products like tanning lotions or spray on tans. Sunscreen is key.