Bikini weather can bring more than sunburns for some. According to health experts, students feeling the need to fit into their favorite swimsuit may develop unhealthy dieting habits.
Students, especially during this season, start feeling like they have to diet to properly prepare for spring break, said Emily Melnick, president of the Eating Awareness Student Subcommittee.
There are more people with eating disorders, Melnick added, than we realize.
Melnick said students may go through extreme measures in order to feel comfortable with their bodies.
“Some try insane diets that may allow the loss of some weight but are usually very unhealthy,” she said.
Many students, Melnick said, have the wrong definition of the word “diet” in mind.
“They think of it as a temporary food change in order to lose a certain amount of weight,” she said. “In reality, it is actually a lifestyle change.”
Because of this deception, Melnick said, some students either develop an eating disorder or continue one.
Melnick said it is unhealthy for students to feel that losing 20 pounds in a month is a reachable goal.
Jennifer Wegmann, a professor at Binghamton University and an Eating Awareness Committee member, said disordered eating patterns are even more common on campus than eating disorders.
“We have a lot of these disordered eating patterns and many times they develop into eating disorders,” she said.
Healthy ways to prepare for spring break, Melnick said, include moderate exercise. She said moderate exercise means there should be an hour of exercise, on top of 30 minutes of recreational exercise, per day. Melnick suggested exercises like aerobics or kickboxing.
Eating healthier, Melnick said, may mean substituting regular food choices with healthier ones.
“It may mean choosing vegetables instead of fries, or an apple instead of mozzarella sticks, or even baked chips instead of the regular kind,” she said.
Portion sizes, said Melnick, are also very important. “Restaurants tend to give two or three size portions bigger than necessary,” she said.
Melnick suggested asking for a to-go box or “doggie bag” immediately and putting half of the restaurant meal away to take home.
“People tend to eat whatever is in front of their faces,” she said. “This way you will feel more satisfied when you’re done instead of feeling overly full.”
Variety, Melnick said, in exercises is also important. If you continue to do the same exercises your body will get accustomed to that and those exercises will no longer be helpful.
Students, Melnick said, need to remember that they are already beautiful.
“A lot of times if the person is already eating healthy and exercising appropriately, they cannot lose weight in a healthy way because their bodies don’t want them to,” she said. “This means they are already at the correct weight for their particular body type.”
According to Melnick, it is important for students to be aware of their eating habits.
“Your body will let you know what weight it needs to lose,” she said. “If you are no longer losing weight, your body is trying to tell you something.”
The focus, Wegmann said, needs to be on improving one’s health.
“When you are focused on your health and well-being, that goes way past April 4,” she added.