The human body is an amazing thing and it can endure quite a lot; how much is too much?
According to a survey by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Approximately two out of every five college students of all ages reported binge drinking at least once in the two weeks prior.”
If more than 40 percent of college students do this, it is essential to know what binge drinking is.
Binge drinking is four or more alcoholic drinks for women, and five or more alcoholic drinks for men within one sitting. It is easy to get caught up in the glorification of drinking, whether it is through the influence of friends, or just preconceptions that were built up from watching movies. However, at the end of the day, a lot of college students have bigger aspirations than Erik Stifler from “American Pie,” and binge drinking can put a halt to those goals quicker than one can say ‘Chug!’
Do the words, freshman 15 ring a bell? What accompanies this notion of the freshman 15 is binge eating. Almost everyone is guilty of some sort of binge eating in the U.S. In fact, there are holidays that seem to revolve around it, Christmas and Thanksgiving to name a couple. However, there is a difference between eating too much pie one or two days a year and continually overeating on a daily basis.
Consequences of binge eating can include a number of things, such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and much more. While it is incredibly easy to brush these things off as not a big deal, or simply something everyone does, it is not nearly as easy to stop doing them. Thankfully, it is not too hard to get help.
In Oswego, the temptation for binge drinking and overeating is especially strong. Dining dollars offer pre-paid pizza and subs via delivery at the click of a mouse. Bars line Bridge Street along with fast food chains, convenience stops and liquor stores. If none of that gets the mouth watering, students can pass right by them all on their way to Wal-Mart for a truckload of Ramen Noodles and Mountain Dew at a bargain price.
A lot of causes to both binge drinking and binge eating include stress, anxiety, desire to fit in and insecurity. These problems are the kinds of things that college students face while on campus. Instead of turning to alcohol or food for emotional support, perhaps try something different. A number of students find that going to the gym or taking a walk is a good way to release pent-up stress. Other students find that the counseling center is a great place to go to work out the very problems that are causing stress and anxiety.
Do not wait for it to get to the point of dropping out of college or living in your parent’s basement working part-time as a Wal-Mart greeter. Domino’s cheesy bread and overly-foamed frat party beer is not worth it.
Photo: Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian
