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Junior Dan Lutz eats a sensible snack, consisting of an apple, carrots and broccoli and washes it down with a whey protein shake. Lutz lost 40 pounds last year and has kept if off by adjusting his eating habits.

Male dieting: A trend on the rise

By: Victoria Vlisides

Posted: 2/27/08

Overly skinny female models have always been a media hotbed, but in recent years these ghostly skin-and-bones figures that parade around in high fashion have a new contender: their male counterparts. This is just one example of a shift in awareness for males to be thinner.

Although women are usually seen as the ones who watch their weight and have been bombarded with the need to be thin, many male students are weight-conscious and are making an effort to maintain healthy eating choices.

Matt Mallin, a Limited Time Employment Counselor at the University Health and Counseling Services was in consent.

"Society has made a shift in terms of marketing," he said. "Men are just as susceptible to those media infiltrations."

Junior Dan Lutz lost 40 pounds throughout the past year and a half by managing his food intake and working out. After reaching his target weight, he's currently finding the best routine for him to maintain his weight.

Lutz exercises six days a week and has developed alternative eating habits from the traditional three meals a day.

His diet is regimented to six or seven small meals per day. Each meal is about 400 calories, Lutz said.

"I needed a new goal other than to lose weight, so I wanted to gain more muscle mass," Lutz said.

Lutz preached habit over the quick-fix.

"People starve themselves, and that's the exact wrong way to lose weight," he said.

He insists his eating habits are not a diet, although he admits to always being conscious of what he puts into his body.

"It's not a diet because a diet screams temporary," he said. "You want to focus on making a lifestyle change."

Sometimes people give him a hard time about his eating habits because they aren't typical and require more time and money, he said.

"It's to become more of a healthy person," Lutz said. "It's not to impress anyone."

Mallin said males typically have a higher rate of metabolism, meaning it's generally easier for them to lose weight compared to women. Typically, men's bodies are leaner than women's bodies, he said.

"Many people have the misconception that being thin automatically means they are healthy," Mallin said. "The body has a natural function zone referred to as a 'set point,' It's a weight that still enables people to have sufficient energy, and doesn't always equate to the thin body image the media often glorifies," he said.

Mallin recommends taking individual genetics and body type into account while seeking a nutritionist for guidance. Mypyramid.gov, a web site designed to assist people's smart eating choices, was also recommended by Mallin.

Even in what used to be a female-dominated realm, eating disorders are creeping over to the other side. Although women still lead in the number of eating disorders, the rate at which men are developing eating disorders is rapidly growing, Mallin said.

One in six cases of eating disorders are diagnosed in men, according to caring.com.

Mallin highlighted the basic, yet imperative methods of losing weight.

"It's about balance," Mallin said. "Match sensible eating habits with exercise."