Most college freshmen fall into one of two categories – They’re either worried about gaining the 15 or trying to lose the 15.
Although most new UT students believe the Hill will keep them in shape, this is not always true. In fact, 20 percent of college students are overweight and 40 percent are attempting to lose weight, according to the National College Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, help has arrived. Nutricise has developed a new form of Internet counseling for the college student.
“From fraternity parties to all-you-can-eat cafeterias, college life makes it difficult to maintain healthy eating patterns,” said Julian Kesner, public relations representative. “The freshman 15 begins with students who exercise their new-found freedom by eating whatever they’re in the mood for and whenever they’re in the mood for it.”
This knowledge of unhealthy habits is only the first step to ending the cycle. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that dieters who had access to a registered dietitian lost more weight than those who dieted without assistance.
How do students find time to fit a meeting with a dietitian into their already hectic lifestyles? That’s where Nutricise comes into play.
“All Nutricise clients are assigned their own personal nutritionist who coaches them through e-mails to achieve the lifestyle changes and skills necessary for weight loss and maintenance,” Kesner said.
Students who sign up on the Nutricise program would receive numerous tips from their nutritionist such as, eating breakfast to get your metabolism working in the morning, avoiding the habit to skip meals, grabbing a healthy snack instead of a candy bar, drinking water when you’re studying to help ward off fatigue, keeping junk food out of your dorm room and moving around instead of lounging in front of the TV.
“We understand the particular needs of our clients,” said Charles Platkin, president of Nutricise. “They often eat high fat food because its cheaper and tastes better, (and) they eat unhealthy food on the run between classes at vending machines.
“Our clients can stick to their nutritional program no matter where they find themselves. A registered dietitian is there to help you at 4 p.m. when you are craving chocolate, or when you have to study late because of finals and need some advice on energy food.”
Nutricise.com provides more than counseling, they also offer invaluable advice on nutrition, gyms and healthy restaurants and vitamins.
