According to a study released by a Boston University professor of medicine, nine out of 10 men and seven out of 10 women will become clinically overweight in their lifetimes – a statistic the study’s creator says will have specific ramifications on college students.

Vasan Ramachandran said his study, published in the Oct. 4 Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 4,000 white adults for more than 30 years.

“There are over 100 people working at various levels to examine the participants,” he said. “Many are part of a volunteer team. There is a staff for collecting data, entering data, keying data and there are statisticians and investigators.”

Ramachandran said although the study’s statistics are dramatic, previous cross-sectional studies hinted at the results his study found.

“I was not too surprised. When we looked at a snapshot of Americans we saw a similar amount overweight,” he said. “About 65 percent were overweight and 30 percent were obese.”

According to Ramachandran, while weight problems are not limited to any single age group, college students should be especially careful about what they eat.

“Healthy eating habits need to be engrained early and the choice of food and lifestyle adopted is extremely important for young adults,” he said.

College of Arts and Sciences junior Tiffany Chen said her training as a figure skater when she was young contributed to her healthy lifestyle today.

“I was an athlete growing up so I’ve been pretty healthy,” she said. “I have to admit when I came to school I wasn’t training all the time, but I still managed to learn what to eat or not to eat.”

Ramachandran said a diet should be specialized for the individual.

“You need to know what your body mass index is,” he said. “This knowledge is based on weight and height. You need to find out where you stand. Based on where you fall, you mainly need to work with a doctor to adopt two key components for normal weight – an individualized plan and one that is sustainable in the long run.”

CAS freshman Moustafa Hassan said ample exercise allows him not to worry about healthy eating habits.

“I eat what I want right know,” he said. “But I think that I’ll eat better when I get older. I think the most important part is working out. I work out about three days a week for about an hour. I usually don’t eat fast food, only when I’m on the run.”

Ramachandran said it is important to ask questions about food when you eat out.

“Go to a restaurant. Make inquires about the ingredients,” he said. “Skip whole milk, butter or gravy. Ask how much cooking oil is used. Healthier foods are steamed foods, or lightly sautéed.”

College of General Studies sophomore Leah Gibian said the huge selection of food might contribute to why many Americans are overweight.

“It’s not actually that surprising because there are a lot of densely caloried foods and Americans eat a lot of junk,” she said. “I try to eat healthy, a lot of fruits and veggies. I’m not afraid of carbs though. I like dessert, but I try to limit it.”

Ramachandran said exercise can be factored into student’s daily routine, although allotting 30 minutes to run and workout is ideal.

“Walk to class instead of taking the T,” he said. “Try to plan your day accordingly. Take part in physical education classes. Start a walking club and watch your portion sizes at the [George Sherman Union]. They serve a lot – don’t eat everything on the plate.”

Gibian said she watches what she eats in the GSU.

“I can see how [weight problems] can be that high,” she said. “You come to a place like the GSU and you have whatever is faster and convenient.”

Overall, Ramachandran said the university’s recent ranking as one of the fittest campuses in the country speaks volumes about the administration’s stance on healthy eating.

“It is important to deal now with problems related to sedentary jobs and lifestyles,” he said. “Clearly whatever the university is doing, it is making a valuable contribution to the country.”

School of Hospitality Administration sophomore Katy Kerr said all your lifestyle choices should be in moderation.

“You just have to balance,” she said. “You can’t expect to eat fast food every day and lose weight – even if you’re going to the gym – calories in, calories out.”