Supplements and Body Image

Did you know that sometimes supplements could be too much of a good thing?

“You want to be careful in the amount of supplements you’re taking. You always want to consult your physician before taking something and just to kind of read into the data,”said Amanda Jillson, associate director of recreational sports.

In a perfect world, everyone would know exactly what and how much to eat for both optimal health and peak performance. Unfortunately ours is not a perfect world and most of us are left on our own to decipher the implications of current research findings or the latest nutritional fad.

“Even though a supplement is labeled natural it’s not always safe. Sometimes natural means they’re not mild or without any side effects so you always want to be cautious of the supplements you’re putting into your body,” said Jillson.

Jillson took the message about supplements and healthy body image to the “Love Your Body” Day Fair on October 21, 2009. She also talked to students about finding their “healthy weight”.

“The average person today is about a size 12 not a 4 or 6 and it’s how you feel on the inside not always about what the scale says,” said Jillson.

Jillson would be happy to sit down with anyone on campus to talk about supplements and body image. For more information contact her at ajill2@uis.edu.

Some information used in this report is from the American Council on Exercise.