SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Winter break is over and Syracuse University students may be bringing back more than just new clothes after the long break. While it’s an entertaining and exciting time, the holidays tend to create weight gain in the average person. Still, there are ways to shed the extra pounds without resorting to a diet consisting exclusively of lettuce and water.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t any magic formula,” said Sarah Short, professor of nutrition at Syracuse. “I used to do a lot of television and I used to say ‘move more, eat less,’ but it’s easier said than done.”
Most students can relate to the difficulty of making time for workouts in a crammed schedule. It is also the fast-paced, activity-filled lifestyle that can actually hurt the chances of slimming down.
“The thing about food,” Short said, “is that most of the food that is bad is easier to get, and fruits and veggies are more expensive and harder to find.”
When there’s only 10 minutes between classes, sometimes a Dunkin Donut makes more sense.
If people are truly adamant about losing weight, there are plenty of ways to get involved with a healthy workout. Rosemary Lavery, the media director for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, said the health club market is an extremely profitable sector these days. Health clubs earned $15.9 billion in 2005 according to the association.
Even with the time to work out away from school, students can still struggle to keep the perfect figure. Many times vacations consist of relaxation, which doesn’t involve an hour of cardio every day.
“Well I guess finals tire everyone out so people are glad to just hang out,” said Andres Gallego, a senior mechanical engineering major. “I also think with the cold weather people tend to just want to hibernate. I know in the first few weeks that’s how I was.”
Even with the inconsistent workout schedule, it is possible students are not packing on as many pounds as they think. Short said young people, like college students, have a better chance to avoid putting on weight than older, less active people.
“In the 18-22 age group, probably you’re not putting on that much weight because you’re doing lots of activities along with your eating,” said Short.
Mike Tanoory, a senior illustration major, said he thinks people are more stressed out than they really need to be.
“I think there’s not much of a difference,” he said. “I mean it’s not like I see heifers coming in here all day.”
Short said food and lack of exercise are not always the culprits when students put on weight. In fact, Short said people within this age group gain a majority of their weight from “liquid calories” without even realizing it.
Just as health clubs such as Curves were developed as an environment where women could work out comfortably, there will soon be a gym for every type of person. Those looking to bulk up will no longer be in the same gym as others who simply aspire to make it up the stairs without breaking a sweat.
“What we’ve been predicting for the upcoming year, is health clubs targeting different demographics like children and families,” Lavery explained. “Health clubs are catering to niche markets.”
With a little effort, those extra pounds can become a distant memory. That is, if people stick to their resolutions and don’t fall back into their old methods of sitting around and eating.
“Everyone’s all gung-ho for four days, and then in two weeks it’s dead,” Tanoory said.
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