The Real Big O

About one third of students here at Ohio State are Overweight or Obese.    The good news is that we’re no worse off than other universities across the country.  The bad news is that things may get a lot worse after graduation – almost twice that many people (63.4% to be exact) are overweight or obese in the general population!  Wow!  Why?

It’s a simple answer to a very complicated problem: too many calories and not enough activity.

In a recent survey, only about 60% of Ohio States students reported eating the minimal recommendation of 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day.  And only 40% said they took part in intense cardio or aerobic activity in the last week.  We’ve got to correct this balance between calorie intake and expenditure if we’re going to keep Buckeye Nation fit, and luckily we are surrounded by resources right here on campus to help us! 

Campus Dining Services lets you see the nutritional content of food served at Ohio State here.  Take a few minutes to see how many calories you’re actually taking in – you might be surprised.

If you need help coming up with a healthy eating plan, you can consult with registered dieticians here at Student Health or with our friends at Student Wellness.

And while the RPAC is the crown jewel of campus physical fitness, there are many other awesome facilities and programs here at Ohio State: 5 indoor facilities, 20 outdoor facilities, more than 60 organized clubs dedicated to fitness, 15 intramural leagues each quarter, and more than 50 PE classes per quarter.  You can learn more about them here

As great as these facilities are, we know that they can be intimidating – you don’t know where to go, how to use the equipment, or you feel like the super-buff regulars might give you a dirty look.  If that’s the case, then start off with something you already do every day – go for a walk! 

Rec Sports has some great maps for walking/jogging trails on campus that range in distance from 1.0 to 4.6 miles.  Grab your iPod or a friend and hit the road!

College is a watershed time in your life, so try to shed (pun intended) those old habits and gain new healthy ones.  What you learn during your time at Ohio State will shape the rest of your life and we want you to make the Big “O” at Ohio State mean “Outstanding” in every way.

Jo Hanna Friend D’Epiro, PA-C, MPH (OSU SHS)