The shape of America is changing quite literally.Since the 1960's the number of peoplesuffering from eating disorders has doubled and obesity has become a full blow epidemic. One percent of adolescents have anorexia and 4 percent of college-aged women have bulimia, according to ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.). But over 60 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese.
So what's the deal? Americans focus on body image every single day. Children grow up surrounded by images in the form of advertisements, television shows and movies that give them ideas of how to look and act. Models and actresses with flat stomachs and tiny waists are everywhere. And while its obvious that thin is in, what's curious is while Hollywood is shrinking in size, the rest of the country is expanding to fill the void.
That is probably because for every advertisement featuring a super thin model, there is another one with a juicy fat-filled hamburger. One hamburger company actually cut out the middle man and just has Paris Hilton (aka the walking stick) eating a huge hamburger while she randomly washed a car. Reading a magazine reminds me of those cartoons with good on one shoulder and evil on the other -- one says "EAT FATTY FOODS!" the other says "DON'T EVER EAT AGAIN!"
And the typical college campus isn't much different. While most colleges offer free gym usage and many intramural sports, the freshman fifteen isn't just an urban legend. I'm sure each and every one of you has run into that dreaded foe either in real life or in some cold-sweating nightmare. Being surrounded by young beautiful classmates can make a couple extra pounds seem like tragedy. This fear of flab leads to the high incidence of eating disorders at the average college campus.
But if their really is all this pressure to be thin, why are there still college kids with expanding waist lines? Probably because of the daily habits of the typical college student. While the dining hall is rumored to have healthy alternatives, most people get bored with the food there or don't even have a meal plan to start with. Left to fend for themselves, students turn to fast food options or snack food. People at the University are incredibly busy and often just grab food on the go, and while a bag of chips and a soda are fairly transportable, the fully balanced meal of veggies might be a struggle while hurrying down the lawn.
Also, you might have heard that viscous rumor that drinking may cause weight gain. Unfortunately, with the amount of carbs in the average beer, heavy drinkers may soon have to trade in their six pack stomachs for a big round keg. In addition to the sugar and carbs in most drinks, alcohol in general lowers your blood sugar which causes "drunk hunger." So it's probably not a coincidence that The Corner, which is filled with restaurants and divides the Rugby area from the rest of campus is packed late on Friday and Saturday nights.
Liz Bird is a Cavalier Daily Health & Sexuality columnist. She can be reached at bird@cavalierdaily.com.
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