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Skinny for suckers

The battle of strong
versus svelte

By Natalie Serafini,
Opinions Editor

anuary is upon us, as

are layers of fat cleverly
disguised under layers of
sweaters. Of course the
excessive eating in which
many of us have indulged
is not ideal, but neither
is the yo-yo dieting and
resolution to lose 30 pounds
that inevitably followed.
I’d like to make the un-
revolutionary argument
that rather than focussing
on avoiding fat and aiming
for skinny, the better goal is
that of strength.

Becoming strong
involves actions that are
very different from dieting.
The main change being
that the focus of working
out is not about burning
x number of calories, but
on building and toning

Achoo! Keep your germs to yourself

How to survive the cold
and flu season without
bringing everyone
down with you

By Sophie Isbister,
Staff Writer

here are a lot of things

to worry about at the
beginning of any new
semester, but winter poses
particular challenges for
students. Challenges that,
according to my cursory
field research, the average
Douglas College student is
grossly incapable of facing
head-on. Challenges like the
flu and its less viral cousin,
the common cold, both of
which are making their evil,
contagious way across the
Canadian wilderness. Full-

muscle. In addition to
which, concentrating on
health forces you to vary
up the kinds of workouts
you do. Rather than strictly
focussing on sweating

as much as possible, you
also direct your attention
towards tone and flexibility,
which is healthier in the
long run.

Don’t beat yourself up
over what you eat! When
you focus on strength and
health, you can actually
have some cookies, cakes,
and pies without the guilt.
Because you aren’t counting
calories, you don’t have to
suffer the defeatist attitude
of “Well, I’ve already
screwed up, so I might as
well eat the whole damn
cake.”

Focusing on the scale—
although a hallmark of
dieting—can be destructive.
While it might help you
to stay on track, it can be
frustrating if the numbers
don’t change for a number
of weeks. Scales don’t

blown cold and flu season:
coming soon to a classroom
or bus near you!

Why do I claim that
students can’t cope?
Because I see the same
gross things every day.
People on the bus and
SkyTrain sneeze right into
my face. People at school
cough all over the public
computers, their germy
mouth-spray infecting
keyboards that countless
other students have to use.
Students walking the halls
like zombies or plague
victims, their glazed eyes
darting back and forth,
their feverish skin glowing
like a beacon that screams
“Infected! Infected!”

The CBC reported
last Thursday that a new
strain of flu, which broke
out over the holidays, is

take into account body
fat lost, muscle gained,
inches shaved off, or the
development of better
health (or at least, my old-
fashioned scale doesn’t).
Instead of focussing on how
much weight you have to
lose, and how much you
arer’t losing, it’s much
more effective and healthy
to focus on the strength
you're building. Speaking
of which, strong doesn’t
discriminate. Everyone has
different body types—some
super skinny, some super
round, some somewhere in-
between. Strong applies to
everyone, regardless.
Focussing on strength
rather than svelteness is a
much healthier mentality
in the long run. A diet is
generally thought of as a
strategy for losing weight:
in my experience, it’s
pretty rare for anyone to
plan to be on a diet forever
as a lifestyle (and thank
goodness for that—can
you imagine having a

seeing increased cases

in metropolitan areas of
Canada. Health Canada
says there are 15 times the
number of cases from last
year. Virus rates are up, but
the CBC says the peak is yet
to come. They report that
in two to three weeks, even
more people across Canada
will be hit by this particular
flu.

Like most strains of
influenza, the one hitting
Canada right now (the
elegantly named H3N2
subtype) affects the most
vulnerable members of our
population: the elderly and
infants under one year of
age. But that doesn’t mean
students can’t or shouldn’t
do their part. The use of
vaccines in controlling
virus outbreaks, while
controversial among some

 

 

 

 

 

friend who was constantly
on a diet or, even worse,

a cleanse?). As far as I’m
concerned, that’s partly
because dieting as a lifestyle
is so unrealistic, and partly
because the goal is short-
term. Once you reach your
goal weight, you’re done.
Focussing on strength is,
first of all, much healthier,
and second, much more
realistic. No one says you

people, is well-documented
and endorsed by public
health officials. It’s not too
late to get your vaccine if
you haven’t already got the
flu!

While it might be
tempting to play through
the pain and take your
cold or flu to school for
show-and-tell, we would
all prefer that you didn’t,
thanks. Even instructors at
the college would rather
you stay at home; I have yet
to see one course outline
that doesn’t excuse absences
for a medical reason. So,
fellow students, between
now and that dreaded peak
flu time, let’s all make a
greater effort to follow
some basic winter disease
etiquette.

For starters, just stay
home! I know not everyone

 

 

 

 

 

 

have to aim to look like

a body builder (and if
you're worried about that
happening, you probably
need a reality check).
Resolving to go on a diet
sets you up to make that
resolution every year.
Resolving to change your
lifestyle and be healthier
sets you up to change your
life for the better and for
good.

can afford to take time off
work, but if you can, for the
sake of my health, please
do. Secondly, if you must
venture into the world,
know where to cough
and sneeze: no coughing
on other people, books,
desks, SkyTrain poles, or
your hand. The best place
to cough is in the crook
of your arm. The best
way to wash your hands
is with soap and warm
water, and for at least 15
seconds according to Health
Canada. The best place to
put a soiled Kleenex is in
the garbage, immediately.
And the best place to
put yourself when you
come down with the cold or
flu? At home, in bed, with
a healthy dose of chicken
soup and Netflix.

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