It’s no surprise college students are exposed to unhealthy amounts of fast -food, alcohol and tobacco.
But other Michiganians aren’t any better.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study Friday in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that said only 3 percent of Michigan adults follow a healthy lifestyle.
The survey asked 4,314 Michigan adults in 1998 and 2000 a series of questions about their health.
In the study, a healthy lifestyle is considered to include eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day, exercising for at least 30 minutes five times a week and not smoking.
Even though MSU is no exception, many people say there are opportunities for students to keep themselves in shape.
Kellee Ostrander, co-owner and operator of Powerhouse Gym of East Lansing, 435 E. Grand River Ave., said the majority of visitors there tend to be students.
Semester and yearlong passes are available to students, with access to yoga, aerobics and cardio kickboxing classes offered.
“We probably have maybe 2,000 members right now, and the ones who are members here are regulars,” Ostrander said.
In the National Collegiate Health Assessment Survey conducted at MSU in the spring of 2000, 800 random students were surveyed about their weight, exercising and eating right.
In the study, 94 percent of MSU students thought their health was good or excellent, and 62 percent said they had one or two servings of fruits and vegetables per day, said Dennis Martell, a health educator at Olin Health Center.
“A healthy lifestyle refers to making progress toward those goals, and we have a lot of students making progress,” he said. “I think that the general health of MSU students is pretty good, although there is room for improvement.”
Mathew Reeves, an assistant professor of epidemiology, said students should start exercising and eating right while they are still young.
“Why not start now?” he said. “It’s a lot easier to prevent putting weight on than taking it off.
“With the sports facilities and all the wonderful places to run, campus is just setup to be physically active.”
