By Anna Sokolove, Creekview High School senior

As a young lady growing up in society today, I feel constantly bombarded by advertisers whose commercials showcase a distorted body image, and I constantly feel the pressure to be thin. Unfortunately, the word "healthy" is never used enough in such advertisements. Americans today are unhealthier than ever, and blame is running rampant. As a senior at Creekview High School, I participate in discussions regarding the future and freshman year of college, which is quickly approaching. Included in what major, what school, where to live, is the inevitable discussion of the dreaded "freshman 15."

In Healthcare Science, we study disease management and the growing problem of obesity. I realize my schedule in college will be hectic and that meal planning will be secondary to making it to class on time. For most college freshmen, fast food is a quick and easy way to eat on the run. Unfortunately, this choice, along with other factors, often is to blame for the "freshmen 15."

During a discussion in class recently, we began to theorize about the "freshmen 15." With today's economy and the limited resources of college students and other Americans, fast food has become a staple in the American diet. Unjustly, the fast food industry has gotten a bad rap and has been vilified by mass media as the root cause of obesity.

In discussing the situation, we developed a theory about obesity and lifestyle choices. Americans have become obese because of their lack of understanding that weight loss and weight gain are mostly influenced by their "choices." They also fail to realize that weight loss is a simple matter of calories burned versus calories consumed. Our hypothesis was if an individual makes good choices and the calories out were more than calories in, then the individual would lose weight.

Rachel Boulineau, Jessica Mitchell, and I created a study that involved four moderately healthy adults two males and two females to participate in "The Chick-fil-A Challenge." During this challenge, we, "the dieticians," outlined a weekly meal plan for each participant according to his/her weight loss goals. Kevin Williams, owner of two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Canton, and his staff prepared all the meals for our participants, donating approximately $4,500 worth of food throughout the project. Using the Chick-fil-A menu, we developed a meal plan tailored to each participant's individual needs and goals.

After a 10-week period, the goal was for each participant to see a 10 percent decrease in his/her overall weight, BMI, and body fat. The following results were after a 10-week period:

After 10 weeks of moderate exercise, eating Chick-fil-A six days a week (with moderation on Sundays), each participant saw a reduction in his/her overall percentages, including weight loss. Of course, such food consumption goes against everything society tells people about the consequences of eating fast food. The results were all accomplished by eating a fast-food diet six days a week. The choices made by the participants made all the difference. Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken, salads, light dressings, low-carb and high-protein choices allowed the participants to control their calorie intake while also feeling satisfied. And, by choosing to participate in some form of moderate exercise on a daily basis, participants ensured that they were achieving more calories out than more calories in. This study in food and exercise choices proved our hypothesis true: If calories out are more than calories in, the type of food even what can be considered fast food is irrelevant; the outcome is weight loss.