Obesity is skyrocketing in the United States. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 30 percent of Americans fall into the category of obese, and another 30 percent fall into the category of overweight. Sports Studies Instructor Craig Eilbacher claimed that this sweeping rise in obesity has not affected the Guilford College community. “While I have seen a rise in obesity in Greensboro, I haven’t noticed a major change on campus,” said Eilbacher.

Eilbacher explained the reason for Guilford being less affected by the obesity trend. “We have lots of athletes on campus, the majority of students are young, and there are lots of resources available for student use.”

Sheperd Lashley, a first-year soccer player whose BMI falls well within the “normal” range, says, “I run twice a week, work out with the soccer team, and play Ultimate Frisbee to stay in shape.”

During the last several years, Guilford invested heavily in Alumni gym and Ragan-Brown field house to improve the facilities. Weight rooms and cardiovascular machines are available to students everyday. In addition, running trails surround campus, and a track circles the football field.

Brian Bittner, a first-year, stays in shape without using Guilford’s facilities. “I’m not a big fan of lifting weights,” said Bittner. “Instead, I like to go to Tumble Bee’s Climbing Gym three to four times a week, as well as climb outside when I can.”

To see if Eilbacher’s observations about obesity on campus are accurate, I set out to find the average Body Mass Index of a sample of Guilford men and women. A Body Mass Index calculation, or BMI, is a simple equation that factors in a person’s height and weight to determine whether they are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.

The outcome of the BMI sample was encouraging. The men, who are typically heavier, fell right at the top of the normal weight, while the women were right in the middle of normal.

A BMI below 18.5 is underweight, 18.5-24.9 is normal, 25-29.9 is overweight, and a BMI over 30 is considered obese.

In a sample of 10 men of all shapes and sizes, the average BMI was 25. In a sample of 10 women, also varying in height and weight, the average BMI was 21.1. The combined average BMI for all 20 men and women was 23.

Even if you hate working out or hate running, there are still ways to stay healthy. Eilbacher said, “The key to being healthy is maintaining a healthy diet and being physically active.