Though your comfortable desk chair may sound like an unlikely source of exercise motivation, the health-conscious community at the University is beginning to turn to the Web as a source of information and advice about diet and fitness. As part of a growing online trend, personal Web sites and blogs have emerged as an significant contributor to the body of online knowledge regarding health and wellness issues.
Registered dietician Paula Ciavarella Caravati, Ph.D., the University’s resident nutritionist, collaborates with the University Dining Program to provide pertinent nutrition information about the University’s meal plans, making this information available on the University Dining Web site. She views the Internet as a valuable resource for students to use, in conjunction with the guidance of a medical professional, in devising a personal wellness plan.
“The Internet abounds with nutrition information sites, and if the information is reliable, it can definitely assist students with health and wellness goals,” Caravati said.
She cautioned students, though, to take a “buyer beware” stance when it comes to information found on the Internet. Just as the conscious consumer must weigh the legitimacy of those quick-fix diet and exercise products pushed on television infomercials, the online browser must take certain precautions when approaching a health Web site. Caravati encouraged students to investigate what sorts of professional medical licenses and certifications a Web site author has and to weigh the information or advice from a Web site based on the legitimacy of its author.
Second-year College student Lilly Frost said she prefers getting health advice from an in-person source whose authority she can trust. Frost said she continues to rely on the advice from her high school sports coaches because they offered a variety of health opinions that she felt she could trust because of their backgrounds in athletics.
“I don’t think [health] is some exact science that one person on a Web site somewhere can possibly know,” Frost said. “Every body is different.”
Frost said she favors a customized health plan that comes from personal interaction with a health professional. Caravati also noted the benefits of such an approach.
“There is still a lot to be said for sitting down face-to-face with a nutritionist or medical professional,” Caravati said. “It’s just that it is no longer the only route.”
Despite the lack of personal interaction, the Internet is offering more and more ways to access various health-related information. The Internet can bring groups, such as vegetarians, together in a scale that would not be feasible otherwise. Personal blogs devoted to specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free diets or kosher diets, or certain interests can serve as tools to trade tips and information. This information always needs to be assessed for medical legitimacy, though, and as Caravati cautioned, students should not conclude that publication automatically grants an individual authority.
A number of students visit these types of Web sites as a way of connecting to the health-conscious community. Third-year College student Tinbite Tamiru said she visits health Web sites at least once a week, noting she has turned to the Internet to find new vegetarian recipes.
Although neither Tamiru nor Frost actively participate in posting health information on the Internet, many health-conscious people contribute information through various Web sites. Jenna Weber, maintainer of the blog, “Eat, Live, Run,” is certified as a nutritional and wellness consultant by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates and is currently a student in culinary school. She blogs about her daily life, focusing on her commitment to a healthy, yet feasibly sustainable, lifestyle. For Jenna, maintaining a health-focused blog “really isn’t about weight loss, it’s about reality,” keeps her on track with her overall health goals.
“I definitely feel a lot more motivated to work out and eat right knowing that I am influencing other young women,” Jenna said. “Certainly there’s times when I want to splurge, and I feel like the blog appreciates the fact that I am just another woman — I’m not perfect!”
In this sense, participating in an online dialogue, whether through a personally maintained blog or by discussing issues with a dietitian in an online forum, can provide a level of motivation and support different from the sort of guidance medical professionals provide.
Jenna’s Web site makes a disclaimer emphasizing the importance of consulting a medical professional before embarking on a diet or exercise regime, but her blog introduces an array of health information, such as exercise moves and nutritiously wholesome recipes, that one could bring to a meeting with a certified health or medical expert. Advice found on such sites can be attractive to students, as it from a student perspective, pressed for time and budget, which offers a viewpoint that may not be a part of the traditional health advice offered by medical professionals who are removed from the student culture.
There is no magic, 10-seconds-a-day answer to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But with the availability of nutrition and exercise resources growing, an active conversation about health issues, whether through a traditional, in-person consultation with a certified professional or a virtual dialogue, could help students reach their goal — if they are properly skeptical about the source of their advice.
“I think that it is important to be open to the expanding delivery of nutrition information ... However, caution must always be exerted,” Caravati said.
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