CHAMP aims to cut down the fat

Brittany Bellanca is one of many students who uses the Recreation & Wellness Center, but she can't be found on the track or by the free weights.

Bellanca, a senior psychology major, hangs out downstairs, completing her CHAMP Plus program.

CHAMP Plus is a free, eight-week program that is offered to all UCF students who are dedicated and ready for a change in nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. It consists of meeting with a licensed dietician, a fitness orientation, four face-to-face meetings with a peer educator and a post-CHAMP assessment after the eighth week.

Larissa Bravo, the CHAMP Plus graduate assistant, teaches her clients about exercise through power points in her workshop.

"The idea is to educate," Bravo said. "I want them to feel like they can do the exercises themselves. I don't want to hand-feed them work out routines; education will last them a lifetime."

Bellanca discovered the program through her sociology of deviant behavior class when she decided to write a paper on how dieting may lead to irregular behavior.

"Our teacher gave us a list of topics to write about and mentioned CHAMP as a topic choice," Bellanca said. "I was interested after my teacher's lecture, so I researched for more information."

CHAMP Plus motivated Bellanca to move past the "plateau" point. She had lost weight but had reached the stage where the body becomes used to the routines and stops losing weight.

Bravo sees a majority of her clients being referred to the program through Health Services. People are going into the clinic for regular check-ups and doctors are noticing weight-related problems, such as hypertension and pre-diabetic symptoms, according to Bravo.

"Doctors are telling their patients they need regular diet and exercise, so they are referring them here," Bravo said. "On the application, we ask, ‘Why are you doing this?' and we are getting responses such as, ‘my doctor referred me, and it is the only way I can get off my medications.'"

The rise in obesity rates among America's youth has earned Generation Y the nickname Generation XL, generated from Richard H. Carmona, M.D., the U.S. Surgeon General from 2002 to 2006.

According to the University of Michigan's 2010 studies on freshman weight-gain, obesity prevalence in young adults 18 to 29 had the largest percentage increase of all age groups, 96 percent from 1988 to 2006. The study also found that college women with heavy roommates gain less weight during their freshman year.

College students have been put under the microscope in other various studies, with researchers hoping to find what the actual weight gain in college students was and what the cause may be.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, moderate-intense cardio or aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes five days or more per week or vigorous-intensity cardio or aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes three or more days per week, for a healthy lifestyle.

According to the survey results of the 2010 National College Health Assessment, 49 percent were actually getting the recommended amount of exercise, leaving 22 percent of college students overweight.

Sophomore Max Green said he does not see a big problem for UCF students.

"I think there is a weight problem to some degree," Green said. "It is not overwhelming in college though because people are pretty conscience about their appearances."

Tré Hester, a senior interpersonal/organizational communications major, said that although he doesn't see an obesity problem at the university level, options for food on campus leave students limited.

"There are not a lot of super-healthy options on campus. It's hard,  people are studying, drinking, they need something quick," Hester said

Bellanca said healthy eating is a choice, and there are more healthy options on campus now than there were in the past.

"Young adults are just tempted to eat whatever they want without thinking about the consequences," Bellanca said. "They need more information."

Sherri Flynt, co-author of SuperSized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat and head of Florida Hospital's Center for Nutritional Excellence, said college students do have a role to play in the obesity problem.

"Freshmen students gain 10 to 20 pounds because they are now in charge of what they eat and when they eat," Flynt said. "Unless they were underweight to start with, this much weight gain would probably put them in the overweight category. It is difficult to see overweight in yourself if you feel you look like everyone else does."

Flynt explained that eating healthy can involve spending a little extra and recommended staying away from fast food, even the salads.

"College students are busy so it is easy to skip meals and lose sleep. Eat breakfast, pack snacks, then you are less likely to eat late at night," she said. "Working 15 to 20 minutes of physical activity at various times throughout your day, and getting adequate sleep is a must."

Freshman year can be tough for some.

"I lived in the Apollo dorms my freshman year," Bellanca said. "The meal plan was too expensive, there was limited storage and limited ways to prepare it. I definitely gained my ‘Freshman 15.' "

Despite that brief setback, Bellanca has learned a great amount since her freshman year.

"I have learned a lot about the different types of fitness," Bellanca said. "The nutritionist has taught me a lot, like there's this new food pyramid, and now I am more fit than I've ever been in my life."

For more information on the CHAMP Plus program, visit www. hs.sdes.ucf.edu/wellnesscenter/services.html.