Health and Human Services News

Archives for February 2022

Structure Update: McDonald Arena

by

The McDonald Arena renovation is progressing on schedule and should be complete at the end of March 2022.  

The locker rooms, classrooms and gym are the focus of the project. 

Facelift for the locker rooms 

The old men’s and women’s locker rooms are being renovated into a student lounge space and new weight room: 

  • The lockers have been removed. 
  • The terrazzo floor is being polished. 
  • Painting is complete. 
  • Electrical work has started.   

New LED lights and fans will be installed in the space as well as a large LED display and comfortable lounge furniture.  

The weight room is getting new rubber mats, security gates and eventually new weights and equipment. 

Classroom improvements 

The classroom furniture is starting to arrive, and the rooms will be vastly improved with new tables with better spacing, rolling chairs and collaborative layouts. 

New mats and padding have been installed in the gym to improve the safety of all who use the space.  

Advocating for students around the world

by

Aubrie Lambertson, junior nursing student and member of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services Student Mental Health and Inclusivity Leadership Committee, has partnered with the Huntsman Mental Health Anti-Stigma Grand Challenge as the national student advocate.

The goal of the challenge is to remove the stigma from mental health. The challenge also exists to provide education to different organizations on the importance of this topic.  

Lambertson will be representing the student population of America. She will travel to speak about the experiences of college students, including the stressors of student life and adult life. 

“I am extremely honored and grateful for this opportunity as I get to follow my passion for mental health advocacy,” Lambertson said. “I get to meet so many amazing people and improve my knowledge of the issues at hand so that they can be addressed and improved nationwide and on our campus at Missouri State.” 

Lambertson will advocate for the student population to make sure that the anti-stigma grand challenge effectively serves the student population in the most beneficial way. 

Explore campus mental health resources

Tipping the scales: intermittent fasting vs. the ketogenic diet

by

Food fuels us. Unfortunately, too many people have unhealthy relationships with food. This has contributed to an epidemic of obesity in the United States. 

Natalie Allen, a registered dietitian who shares duties between the biomedical sciences and athletic departments at Missouri State University, shares about recent trends in dieting.  

Intermittent fasting

One of the most prevalent diet trends right now is intermittent fasting, Allen said. In this diet, people limit the duration during a day that they allow themselves to eat.  

In some cases, she said, people set a timetable for when they can eat (ex. between 10 a.m.-4 p.m.). Others on this diet eat more calories in one day and severely restrict their calories the next.  

“It doesn’t appear to promote more weight loss than a healthy eating plan with exercise,” Allen said.  

“Intermittent fasting can be helpful for people who are late night eaters. That tends to be a time people overindulge and eat when we’re not hungry. So, if that’s you, it might be helpful to say, ‘I’m not going to eat after 6 p.m.’  

“But as far as sticking to a strict regimen about hours that you eat, that doesn’t seem to be beneficial for the body. It’s not harmful either, but for a lot of people, it creates a lot of stress, and a lot of energy is wasted on it.” 

Dissecting trendy diets

Ketogenic diet

The other major trend Allen mentioned was the ketogenic, or “high fat” diet.  

She says it’s very hard to follow long term. 

“Your body is not naturally in a state of ketosis. That’s where you’re using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates,” she said. “I would not recommend that for the general public.” 

She said this diet has a low success rate for several reasons:

  • It’s a lot of time and effort. 
  • Meat can be very expensive.  
  • People get frustrated and don’t do it. 
  • Very easy to overeat without reaching ketosis.

Allen notes that the ketogenic diet was originally developed to help children with epilepsy. She explains it is not as sustainable, therefore, and maybe not as effective for the average person.  

Some studies are underway to explore the diet’s effect on the heart, blood pressure and blood sugar, she added.  

“On the flip side, if somebody is able to lose weight on the ketogenic diet, all of those things generally improve,” Allen said. “The bottom line: Does the ketogenic diet help people lose weight? And the answer is yes, if you can maintain it.” 

Making a plan instead of sticking to a diet 

Instead of trying to lose weight via a “diet,” Allen offers simple suggestions to improve your likelihood of making smarter eating decisions: 

  • Make a meal plan for your week. 
  • Pick a day to meal prep four meals to eat throughout the week. 
  • Use a smartphone app to keep a grocery list. 
  • Keep recipes in one place to easily access them. 

By making these small lifestyle changes, you will be less likely to gravitate toward unhealthy choices. 

“Also, if you are trying to eat a little bit more protein or you want to add more fruits and vegetables, or more whole grains, whatever your goal is, you have control of that as you’re planning throughout the week.” 

Read the transcript