Spring Break Weight Loss & Crash Dieting | Op-Ed/The Scribe

Skinny won’t matter when you’re dead. It’s a harsh dose of reality, but inevitably the truth. With Spring Break right around the corner, the obsession with becoming and remaining thin has driven college students to extremes. By crash dieting, young people believe they will find the results they are looking for, thus falling victim to this vicious trend. Days without eating a meal, obsessively counting calories and even developing eating disorders just to look good in a swimsuit for a week is absolutely ridiculous. It’s even more ridiculous to think that half of these young people, if not most, are going to be drinking their Spring Break away, therefore gaining the majority of the weight that they lost back with alcohol.



It’s undeniable that Spring Break is infamous for partying, and young people are the first to get the party started. Why then, if you’re going to be drinking immense amounts of alcohol- would you jeopardize your body’s health to lose weight that you’re going to be gaining right back? It’s one unhealthy habit after another and we only have society and each other to blame. The idea pressured upon us that you must look like a model in your swimsuit is everywhere we look- print advertisements, billboards, commercials.

As if the advertisements aren’t enough, we also play a huge role in our distorted body images. Popular website, textsfromlastnight.com posted a perfect example of how young people are dealing with getting Spring Break ready: “An alarm set every 45 minutes saying “FATTY” and one every afternoon saying “CASPER” every day until spring break is a foolproof plan to being bikini ready.” With a mindset such as this one, it’s no wonder that staying thin is the first thought on people’s minds.

Even so, taking such extreme measures to get to that point makes it clear that these unrealistic expectations have spiraled out of control. It’s no surprise that the two months before Spring Break are dedicated by most to hitting the gym, and hitting it hard. Countless hours are spent there in an attempt to perfect their bodies for the upcoming week of vacation. While this method is usually much healthier than crash dieting, it’s also a risky choice when abused. When you think about it, long workouts, crash diets and obsessive calorie counting are a flat out waste of time. Why? Not only are they extremely unhealthy to the point where eating disorders-or worse- are developed, but also because the risk you’re taking when participating in such activities is significantly less than what you’re gaining.

Keep in mind that Spring Break is a week of vacation and a week to let loose, and while body image is important- it’s not the most important factor. If your weight is a concern, try looking for realistic ways to shed some pounds, like moderate workouts at the gym, or cutting down on junk food, and do these things without taking them to an extreme. Loosen up and have fun this Spring, but do it responsibly, and most of all, do it while keeping your health in tact.