Students keep up with the skinny media image

College students fight the daily battle of self-image and how to maintain and perfect it into the ‘beauty’ molds that are created by the media and pop culture.
“It would be nice to have our views on images changed, but right now, that’s not happening,” said nursing instructor Sallie Coke. “And I am floored when I open a magazine and you see those models and you can tell that they are pencils.”
New ways to lose weight and attaining flawlessness through diet supplements have been advised to the masses on a regular basis. These so called solutions to attaining ideal beauty seem simplistic and reachable for everyone.
Coke talked about the risks in using these “quick fix” answers.
“The thing that you have to remember is that not everybody can take these pills without consequences,” Coke said. “If they are on any kind of medication, there could be major side effects that can counteract or cause those levels to get higher in their blood.”
She offered advice to college students on how to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy and manageable way. She suggested that students give up excessively consuming unhealthy eating and drinking products like carbonated beverages and desserts. She also recommended eating in moderation and tame tempting cravings by replacing the unhealthy ones with a healthy solution, like fruit, and make these healthy choices a lifestyle.
College can be stressful for students. Time seems to have shortened, and everyday tasks continue to build and multiply.
Tyne Owens, a freshman who will be transferring to GCSU next fall struggles with accomplishing her daily tasks and still finding the time for fitness.
“My daily routine is packed,” Owens said. “Between school, friends, eating and sleeping.there is no time left for working out. I also don’t have time to cook myself a healthy meal, so I eat whatever is easiest; and that usually means fast food. It’s easy, and cheap.”
Owens said she was active in high school; she was involved with cheerleading and worked out on a regular basis. She said the media has impacted her self-image. Throughout high school, especially in cheerleading, and college she has tried to live up to the “beauty” standards that the media has set.
She said diet supplements have been the answer for keeping weight off in her busy schedule.
“I have tried a couple of different kinds,” Owens said.
She has tried the diet pill Stackers, but did not continue using them because they gave her headaches. Now, she uses a green tea diet supplement called Hoodia, and she has had no problems with it.
“Makes my body look the way I want! But, if I had the time to live a healthy lifestyle, I would give up these pills in a heart beat!” Owens said.
Ryan Mickey, a junior economics major, takes a different approach to keeping in shape. He works out three to four days a week, and although he has taken protein shakes in the past, he continued to work out on a regular basis.
Assistant Director of Counseling Services Susan Hendley gave advice on attaining a healthy self-esteem image for students in a media driven society.
“Try to focus on what’s healthy for them, and to recognize that they need a variety of foods, a variety of activities,” Hendley said, “that they need quiet time as well as busy time, and that they’re not supposed to be perfect.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 9 2007. Filed under Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry