Nowadays obesity is on the rise and people don’t know what to do about it.Obesity is becoming a major problem in schools and throughout America. Approximately 300,000 deaths in the United States each year are attributable to unhealthy dietary habits and physical inactivity or sedentary behavior. “With an estimated guess, about 50% of Morton East students are obese.” World-renowned English teacher, Mr. Reid said. “With examples that stem from reality shows such as “The Biggest Loser”, some key factors in obesity are excessive amounts of fast food and inactive people.” Fortunately, Morton East students now have a new weight room to look forward to if they want to get in shape and look more attractive. Not only will they look great, but feel great as well.“Exercising is important in my life because it feels great knowing that I’m fit.” senior Volleyball player Idelem Garfio said. “I work out 5 times a week for 3 hours. The number one rule: ‘Go hard or Go home!’”When exercising, setting goals is an important strategy to motivate yourself. Set goals that are specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and timely. When you don’t have a specific goal, it’s frustrating and difficult to keep exercising and track your progress to see how far you’ve come. “When I hit the gym, my goals are to look more like Mr. Romero.” senior Antonio Ramirez said. Another key factor in getting fit is having a healthy diet. Healthy dieting is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying shockingly thin, or starving yourself. Believe it or not, according to a website www.helpguide.org it is recommended that a person eats 6 small meals a day as opposed to 3 big meals. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illness such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. For body builders, protein is highly suggested. “I highly recommend protein if you want to get big as in muscle weight.” Officer Eddie said. “I recommend mostly whey protein, pro-complex, casein, and creatine. Drink 1 to 1.5 gram of protein for every pound you weigh.” Now that question lies, who works harder in the gym, men or women? In a recent survey, 2/3 of students in Morton East agreed that men work out harder in the gym. “Boys work harder. They’re obviously swoller.” varsity football player Kevin Sanchez said. Another varsity football player, Adalberto Garibay said, “Boys work harder because they’re more concerned about their appearance.” Varsity volleyball player, Idelem Garfio, also agrees. “Boys, because, I mean, look at them!”