Page 3 Tuesday • September 3, 1996 People step out of their homes and into fitness as the battle of the bulge is being fought on all fronts, especially on the student body. *ht last niglt ;hs & Lows iterday’s Hl£ 91°F lav's I xpecic High 94°F lay’s Expectej Low I 73 0 F Ihapter of the- f By Tauma Wiggins The Battalion W ith the start of the Texas A&M fall semes ter, student concerns shift from fun-in- the-sun to back-to-school, and, for many first-time students, avoiding the “fresh man 15.†"Freshman 15†describes the weight tradi tionally gained by some first-semester students. Gorge Villarreal, a fitness and conditioning aerobic running instructor, said that in college, he often observed obsessive behavior in fresh man females trying to keep off the “freshman 15.†He said his fellow students had unhealthy expectations about avoiding weight gain. "They weren’t as obsessed with losing weight as they were with the idea of not gaining weight and finding an easy way out;†he said. “It was like everything they would do would lead to weight gain." He said many women are influenced by the supermodel image that is impossible for most people to match. "College freshman women should realize that many of the (physical) ideals they seek are from supermodels who are one in a million, as well as surgically enhanced,†he said. Villarreal said students experi ment with different ways of fighting I the “freshman 15.†Some, he said, are unsuccessful. He said weight gain is often the result of overeating “healthy foods’ that people think are harmless. “They need to act sensibly,†Villarreal said. “Just because there’s a non-fat yogurt machine nearby doesn’t mean there aren’t any calories (in the yogurt).†Jeremy Nelms, a strength training instructor- said the primary reason for the "freshman 15†is the extreme change in lifestyle many freshmen undergo. Nelms said college freshmen who were previ ously involved in high school athletics, but who are inactive in college, are particularly suscepti ble to weight gain. Not all fitness specialists think college fresh men tend to go to extremes. Ernie Kirkham, coordinator of developmental activities for the Department of Kinesiology, said a small percentage of students go to extremes of weight gain or loss, which are the result of a rad ically different college lifestyle. “The image is of people going off to college and going nuts,†Kirkham said. “This isn’t always true.†He said a majority of students keep up with regular exercise activities after entering college. “A large percentage of people are continuing in habits they had before college,†he said. Kirkham said that in reality, a limited number of students make a serious effort to increase physical health and fitness. Kirkham said there is also a small number of students who make up the other side of the coin — those who put forth no effort toward \ achieving health and fitness goals. He said this can be the result of being out of a disci plined environment for the first time. “The freedom of college gives them the option to get away (from their regular routine),†he said. “For example, meals aren’t held at regular times.†He said college does not necessarily change students into another person, but it brings out the traits that are already there, including obsessive tendencies. “If you’re obsessive about things, college real ly gives you the chance to be,†he said. “It magnifies your natural tendencies, and you’re away from people who influence you. A work-intense person will reflect this excessive ’work-a-holic-ness’ in his study and health habits.†For students with concerns about proper diet and exercise, Kirkham recommends they con tact the A.P. Beutel Health Center, the Student Recreation Center, library books with health- related topics and A&M activity classes. Villarreal said students often complain about not having enough time to work out, but he said students can make time to work out, no matter how busy they are. “You can find 30 minutes every day,†he said. “Students don’t realize they are sitting around talk ing in the hall for at least 30 minutes all the time.†Nelms said building muscle is imperative to physical fitness. “Personally, I believe strength training is the best way to lose fat,†he said. “Lifting weights increases metabolism — for every 5 pounds of muscle, you burn 50 calories. You can burn a lot of calories just sitting around doing nothing.†Kirkham said there are two important things students with health and fitness concerns should remember. “You must realize improvement doesn’t always come easily,†he said. “It involves a change of lifestyle more than a change of habit.†Villarreal said comparison is the enemy of self-improvements and students should ignore societal pressures to look a certain way. “The No. 1 thing I would say is not to get obsessed,†he said. “It’s really not worth it, and if you’re unhappy with your physique, it’s because someone else in society is telling you that you should be.†Dave House, The Battalion Chris Martin, a senior computer engineering major, works out at the Student Recreation Center City Editor >orts Editor ce, Opinion Ec , Web Editor an, Radio Edit Photo Editor 1996-97 All-University Calendar Produced by the Department of Student Activities Keep your money in the Aggie Family! Our calendar is produced in B/CS... by Aggies, for Aggies. 5er, Cartoon Ed^ /I University intlie News offices arei* 647; E-mail: All proceeds support A&M student organizations! torsement byTlie i-2696. For classic I nald, and office student to pickup® 40 per school yeaU’ :press, call 845-26 i: ng the fall and sp^ xcept on Universitf ige paid at College | 230 Reed McDofr L Aggie Problem Solver Campus Map Aggie Songs Aggie Code of Honor Leadership Class List University Center Info Monthly Calendars Yearly Calendars Class Schedule Grids Campus Events Meeting Times Name & Address Section At the Texas A&M Bookstore NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS WORKSHOPS AND APPLICATION DEADLINES FALL SEMESTER 1996 The Office of Honors Programs and Academic Scholarships will offer several Informational meetings this fall on the following highly competitive scholarships. Mark your calendar if you are interested in learning about any of the following scholarships: Rhodes Scholarship Informational Meeting September 4 4:00 p.m. 207 Academic Building British Marshall Scholarship Informational Meeting September 9 4:00 p.m. 207 Academic Building Truman Scholarship Informational Meeting September 10 4:00 p.m. 207 Academic Building Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Informational Meeting September 12 4:00 p.m. 207 Academic Building National Science foundation Graduate Fellowships and Minority Graduate Fellowships Preparatory Workshop October 15 6:00 p.m. MSC 228 If you have any questions about any of these scholarship competitions, please contact Djuana Young at djuana@aphonors.tamu.edu or Dr. Susanna Finnell at sflinnell@tamu.edu, or call 845-1957.