Columbus is moving up in the fitness world.
The city was ranked the sixth-fattest city in America, down one spot from its fifth-place spot in 2001, in the February Men’s Fitness.
Steven T. Devor, an assistant professor of sport and exercise science, said the jump was because of “Commit to be Fit,” an outreach program in central Ohio aimed to increase awareness about Columbus health issues and improve public health.
“One of the primary reasons that got us from fifth to sixth is a focus on getting people more physically active and paying attention to their nutrition,” Devor said. “The primary vehicle is Commit to be Fit.”
Devor serves as the exercise physiologist for Commit to be Fit. His role was to design seven different six-month exercise and physical activity programs.
“My sincere hope in becoming involved with Commit to be Fit is that it will influence some behaviors and inspire individuals to become more involved with their personal fitness and health,” he said.
The programs are designed so participants will come back each week during the six-month period to receive that particular week’s information. Besides the children’s and senior citizen exercise programs, the remaining five are geared toward college students and adults, Devor said.
Whether you want to start a beginner exercise program at a gym or an advanced exercise program at home, there is something for everyone.
“If you’re someone who is a beginning exerciser and self-conscious, you don’t have to go to Larkins,” he said. “You can do things in your dorm room, on The Oval or on the lawn.”
Devor said the renovated Larkins Hall, which is expected to be complete in 2005, will significantly influence OSU students’ ability to find recreation in a facility that is up to par.
“It’s going to have a huge recreation component to it. Right now, Larkins is not as good as it could be. It’s old and a little run down,” Devor said.
Liz Pierson, a junior in dietetics, said she would be more motivated to work out if Larkins was fixed.
“I don’t enjoy Larkins, so that’s why I do most of my workout outside. I stay out of there as much as possible except on rainy days or when the weather gets cold. I think if there was a nicer facility, I would be here a lot more,” Pierson said.
Beth NeCamp, spokeswoman for Ohio State Medical Center, said the medical center has sponsored Commit to be Fit recreational activities. Other sponsors are Grange Insurance and Cardinal Health.
“Commit to be Fit is doing a program with elementary and middle schools to try to get kids interested in fitness. We also sponsor a mall-walking program at Polaris,” NeCamp said.
Coming July 20-21 is a Commit to be Fit Fitness Expo at Polaris Fashion Place. NeCamp said it will feature exercise sessions, cooking demonstrations and experts on a variety of health and wellness topics.
“We have about 12,000 people signed up for Commit to be Fit, and our goal is 100,000. We do these events to hit people with the message so they sign up to take the pledge to try to be healthier,” she said.
NeCamp said that participants do not have to try to fix everything at once.
“Pick one thing. If you don’t exercise much, start exercising. If you smoke, quit. If you eat pizza every Friday, make it every other Friday,” NeCamp said. “It’s not like you have to totally change your life – just take a small step at a time.”
These small steps will lead hospitals to a different way of health care, she said.
“We would rather help somebody quit smoking and lose weight than treat them for lung cancer or a heart attack,” she said.
Becoming aware of the risks of bad habits is a key factor to becoming a healthier person, NeCamp said.
“If you don’t know that you are eating bad things, you won’t get better,” NeCamp said. “As an education leader, I think Ohio State has a responsibility to get the word out of all the stuff we know.”
Pierson said people eat unhealthy because it’s more convenient than making healthy meals.
“I think all the fast food places around Columbus have a lot to do with us being fat. A lot of people are busy, so they get fast food,” Pierson said.
When eating fast food, Pierson chooses salads with no dressing and low-fat sandwiches. However, not everyone likes those types of food, she said.
“I noticed a lot of places offering heart-healthy menus have taken those logos off because they didn’t go over well,” she said. “Obviously people in Columbus don’t care as much as they should.”
Ramah Church, a senior in hospitality management, is a manager at Red Lobster. She said the amount of food people eat is alarming.
“The portion sizes are getting a lot bigger, and that’s not good. Red Lobster has increased the number of shrimp in some orders to 30. At times, you can get unlimited shrimp,” Church said.
Church said large midnight snacks are not the best for you either.
“I think the restaurants that are open late contribute to gaining weight,” she said. “Eating that late really isn’t good.”
Listening to the news on the radio a few years ago, Church said she heard something that made her think about what she ate.
“Ever since I heard they had to widen seats because America is getting fatter, I have paid more attention to food,” she said.
Church works out by jogging, doing aerobics and kickboxing. She said her routine is more of a stress relief than a pound-pincher.
“It’s important to have fun because otherwise you’re going to get into a slump,” she said. “I try to do a variety of things so I don’t get too bored.”
Devor agreed with Church.
“You need to find an activity that is fun. Ideally you are going to get your heart rate up, sweat a little bit and get a workout. But if we can just get people moving, that would really make a difference,” Devor said.
