Are Your Classmates Getting Too "Swole"?

When I started here at Santa Clara in the fall, one thing struck me quickly: We have an incredibly fit and attractive campus. 

We even have the statistics to back it up, with sites like College Prowler rating Santa Clara students as part of the top 10 in the nation for most attractive and fit students. Santa Clara is praised in many circles for how athletic our student population is, but have we taken this image a bit too far?

Most days the gym seems more crowded than the library with one side of the gym plodding away at cardio machines and the other frantically lifting weights, trying to achieve the elusive "swole" status. 

The "freshman 15" is almost a myth on this campus. In a country where the obesity rate for adults is past 35 percent, shouldn't the Santa Clara phenomenon be a model for schools around the country?

Certainly the benefits of diet and exercise are no secret. Numerous studies have found that physical exercise improves mood and creativity, and in a region renowned for its innovation, this is invaluable. However, the line between passion and obsession is thin.

With the sun out nearly all year-round and beaches only a half-hour drive away, it is no surprise so many are working to keep up their beach body. With the prevalence of bro tanks and tank tops, there is a sense of always being on display. 

However, with the pressure of classes and the temptation of late-night Bronco, always looking your best is a bit unrealistic. Being thin and ripped is the expectation, but is this realistic, not to mention healthy, for college students who are already stretched so thin?

There are dark sides to this health craze. The price of staying in the top 10 for most attractive and athletic students can be crash diets and eating disorders. This problem is nationwide, with studies showing over half of college women and a third of men surveyed admitting to resorting to unhealthy habits like anorexia or bulimia in order to reach a desired weight. 

Guys guzzle Muscle Milk and girls skip meals, all to be able to walk through campus without having to hide an extra pound or two. The obsession with body image hits women the hardest, with 58 percent of those surveyed feeling pressure to lose weight, while over 50 percent were already at a healthy weight. 

Fitness is not all bad though. An active campus makes for a smarter, more creative campus. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that students who exercise regularly, have higher GPAs than those who don't. 

The Malley Fitness and Recreation Center can be a wonderful resource. It can be a great way to unwind after a long day and even meet new people. But it can also create a culture obsessed with an unrealistic standard of appearance.

Let's take Santa Clara off its fitness pedestal for a minute. 

Santa Clara's athleticism brings out the best and the worst in us. Our emphasis on fitness can create a more intelligent, energetic environment, but it can also breed dangerous habits that may follow students for years. 

College is a time that begins to mold the person you will be for the rest of your life. Overemphasizing appearance as the primary way you see yourself, and how your peers see you does not set you up for a satisfying life.