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AMERICAN HEART MONTH Keys to a heart-healthy new year
BY KAYDEN CANNILLA, OPINION COLUMNIST
The most common New Year’s resolutions for 18 to 25-year-olds are to lose weight (31%), improve diet (33%), and improve fitness (49%). These aspirations for better physical health are only beaten by the goal of improving mental health (50%).
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Concrete markers and resources for actualizing your goal are key to following through on resolutions. College students may be especially interested in adjusting their diet and fitness because of the notorious “Freshman 15.” This expression is more of an exaggeration, as Rutgers found that 75% of college freshmen gained an average of seven pounds. College weight gain is due to a variety of factors: decreased physical activity, making the most of your meal plan, social drinking, and too little sleep, which are all common tendencies of students. While body mass index (BMI) is not the only important factor in overall health, it is a significant predictor for heart failure, with a five-point increase in BMI corresponding to a 32% increase in the risk of heart failure.
Diet is a much more significant factor in weight loss and overall fitness than an impressive exercise plan. While weight loss ultimately comes down to calories in minus calories out, the more difficult part is picking satisfying foods to maintain a caloric deficit. It’s best to start by estimating how many calories you need for homeostasis. Counting calories is not always feasible, especially with pre-portioned campus meals, but being mindful of how many servings you eat in a day and the approximate macronutrients you consume can give valuable insight into where your diet is lacking. The printed serving size can also be misleading because a serving size is based on “the amount of food people typically consume, rather than how much they should consume… [Based on] nationwide surveys of the amounts of foods Americans eat, the serving size for soda has changed from 8 ounces to 12 ounces.” The ratio of macronutrients will determine how full and
