By Zach Kilgas | Americans are passionate about their health trends. From the Atkins Diet, to the grapefruit diet, to the Abs Revolution 3000, there is always a new infomercial claiming that this new diet, or exercise video can help you get your ideal body quicker than ever. For some LHS students, certain health trends have become a part of their life, however they could all mention a few trends that went overboard.
Students and teachers agree that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is highly important.
“It’s very important to stay healthy, to live the very best possible lifestyle that you can,” Coach Roger Stirtz said. “It’s not fun being sick or injured, or having an illness that you could have controlled by staying healthy,”
Each student interviewed has made choices to alter their lifestyles in order to live a better life.
“I eat pretty healthily, and I try to get as much exercise as I can,” junior Amy O’hare said. “For me I like knowing that I feel good about what I eat. It’s all about balancing to me.”
It’s easy to acknowledge the fact that America has an over consumption issue.
“For me diet is important,” Stirtz said. “In America we have excess of everything. What gets us in trouble is the excess amounts of food that we can find everywhere. I try to limit my intake. I try to burn more calories than I take in, and recently I’ve been cycling.”
For vegetarians, diet goes beyond just eating for health.
“I think eat healthily, and I am a vegetarian, because I believe in animal rights,” senior Annie Doyle said.
However with each positive health trend there are three that follow it that are outlandish.
“I don’t believe in a magic pill that fixes everything or anything that claims to fix everything,” Stirtz said. Diet and exercise are an important factor when trying to get healthy, and no one thing is going to make you super healthy.”
“I think some diets especially like the Special K diet it’s just ridiculous,” O’hare said. “Really all you eat is cereal all day.”
The school nurses offered their personal advice to students before they participate in a new health trend, and explained the dangers of over-dieting
“Over dieting can start affecting your entire body,” school nurse Karla Hausman said. “In worst case scenario your organs can completely shut down. I’m a firm believer that you should consult a doctor before changing your diet.”
“What happens with extreme dieting is that it becomes a psychological thing,” school nurse Michele Kist said. “Then all of a sudden your perception of your body image is destroyed. You can be as thin as a pen but your body will keep telling you to exercise. Diets are good, but it has to be a balanced one. So before you do any type of health trend talk to a doctor first.”
