Stress, depression and obesity are major health concerns facing college students today. With the opening of the new Schumo Center for Fitness and Well-Being, Albright tackles them by taking a holistic approach.

Classes, on - and off - campus jobs, extracurricular activities, internships, volunteer work, quick meals to “grab on the go” and exercise?… who has time for that?

The life of a college student is hectic, and doesn’t leave much time for thinking about, let alone taking care of, one’s health.

Meghan Hurst ’08 knows first-hand how hard it is. “It’s the jam-packed schedule that, a lot of the time, doesn’t leave room for a trip to the gym,” Hurst says. “What with classes, extracurriculars, part-time jobs and a number of other things, college students sometimes feel so bogged down by it that they see it as impossible, and irresponsible even, to take time out of their busy schedule to take a jog.”

But health officials say that jogging, or any form of exercise, is more important than students may realize.

Two-thirds of American adults are overweight. One in three is considered obese. And childhood obesity is at an all-time high.

In addition, studies have shown that there is a connection between chronic stress, depression and obesity. A July 2006 article in “MedPage Today” says that obese persons have a 20 percent elevated risk of depression compared with those of normal weight. And according to the American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment, the rate of students reporting ever being diagnosed with depression increased 56 percent from spring 2000 to spring 2005.

“It used to be the freshman 10,” says Jill Zelinsky, R.D., L.D.N., referring to the number of pounds college students generally gain in the freshman year, “but now it’s closer to 15 to 20.”

Obesity has become the number one health issue among college students, says Samantha Wesner, C.R.N.P., R.N.C., director of Albright’s Gable Health Center. Because of it, Wesner says, “we’re seeing more chronic problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, issues that you wouldn’t think the college-age population would be dealing with.”

The American College Health Association’s Healthy Campus 2010 initiative establishes national college health objectives and serves as a basis for developing plans to improve student health. There are 10 leading health indicators that reflect the major public health concerns in the United States. Physical activity and overweight/obesity are the top two.

Many factors are to blame, says Zelinsky, assistant director of nutrition services at The Reading Hospital & Medical Center and a nutrition consultant at Albright.

In many cases, when a student goes away to college it’s one of the first times they are in total control of their own food choices. Their schedule changes drastically and the propensity to order takeout – generally high fat, high sodium, high sugar foods – late at night is high. There’s greater exposure to alcohol, an endless supply of a variety of foods in the dining hall, more emotional eating caused by stress, and a general lack of physical exercise. Not to mention financial concerns. “By and large,” Zelinsky says, “fat is inexpensive.” Just look at the dollar menus at many fast food restaurants.

Why is the problem worse today? “For the same reasons we’re dealing with the issue of obesity in society,” says Zelinsky. Portions are bigger. Everyone is on the run. Twenty years ago students weren’t glued to a computer. You actually had to get up and walk to the library or to a study group.”

When Shelly (Greene) Terry, SFNS ’58 was at Albright, healthy eating wasn’t an issue. “No one talked about it,” says Terry, a child nutrition program consultant from Birmingham, Ala. “You had your meat, your potatoes, your salad and your dessert. No one thought about high fat and high sugar.” The difference, she says, is that “we didn’t eat as much in between meals because snacks weren’t as readily available, and more people walked and rode bikes to class.”

Portions have also changed. “People have crazy ideas about portions today,” Terry says. “With pasta, for instance, people think the plate should be brimming over, but really, a portion is just a cup.”

A new program on childhood obesity at Albright’s newly constructed Schumo Center for Fitness and Well-Being (see accompanying story) hopes to target the youngest audience.“We’re hoping we can prevent the development of unhealthy habits before they develop into life-long habits,” says Zelinsky.

The program, a joint venture with Albright College, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, and Penn State Berks, is made possible with a $100,000 grant from the Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund of the Berks County Community Foundation. It will begin in September, is designed for children in the Reading, Pa., area from four to 10 years old and will have three components: nutrition, exercise and recreation, and emotional well-being.

Shelly Terry’s ’58 advice on maintaining good physical health: Get a pedometer and start walking 10,000 steps a day; Look at what you eat and cut portions in half; Focus on fruits and vegetables;
Use the USDA food pyramid as a guide (www.mypyramid.com); Drink water instead of carbonated beverages (Shelly Greene Terry, SFNS ’58 is a child nutrition program consultant in Birmingham, Ala.)

While educating students at a young age is a key to reducing obesity, other factors like stress have to be looked at as well.

Melissa Jaworski ’09, a self-described health nut, says the perception that “busyness is a measure of success” is a real problem for most college students, herself included. “College students need to take time to understand that relaxing is necessary and that time to one’s self is vital. Healthy decision making … includes making choices beyond physical well-being.”

“Life is hectic and stressful,” says Wesner, who adds that the number of students she sees in the Health Center who are dealing with emotional and psychological problems has increased over the last several years. These problems can also contribute to weight gain, she says.

Unfortunately, there is no “quick fix.” It’s a matter of changing behaviors. Start walking 10,000 steps a day, cut portions in half, focus on fruits and vegetables, use the USDA food pyramid and drink water are Shelly Terry’s ’58 recommendations.

Next, think holistically. “It’s all inclusive,” says Wesner. Physical, spiritual, psychological, emotional,“if one of these areas is out of whack the person isn’t healthy and it snowballs from there.”

Educational programs run through the Gable Health Center are getting through to students, says Wesner. “We do a good job in teaching them what to do and I know they’re trying. They want to do the right thing, it’s just doing it.”

New Schumo Center for Fitness and Well-Being Takes Holistic Approach to Health >