Greek Week has finally passed and the fraternities and sororities can relax and do not have to worry about endless practices and gaining points for the week’s awards.

With all the planning and preparation that goes into being the top Greek organization on campus, there comes a price: stress on the body.

In an article published by the Campus Times last week, there were some disturbing comments regarding the preparation for the tug-of-war event.

Some participants commented on their need to lose weight in order to meet the weight requirements. And while it is healthy to stay within the prescribed weight range for a particular body type, drastically losing weight over a short amount of time is not exactly healthy.

The Greek organizations should not be singled out as being the only culprits in straining the body during competitive or stressful times. Similar situations seem to be acceptable in other cases too.

Major fasting, abusing medication, extreme exercising and sleep deprivation can all be harmful to your body and state of mind.

In a study published by the Southern Medical Journal in 2002 titled “Psychologic and Physiologic Effects of Dieting in Adolescents” states that “extreme methods of weight loss can have adverse physiologic effects if not closely monitored. Electrolyte disturbances, cardiac dysrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death can result from unhealthy or extreme dieting practices.”

Losing over 10 pounds in a short amount of time in preparation for an event like tug-of-war is not a smart choice. We ask that students, Greek organizations and everyone else for that matter, reflect on what they are doing to their bodies first before they do something drastic and potentially dangerous.

Greek organizations, athletic teams and others have a higher expectation as representatives of the student body at the University of La Verne. Body image and athletic performance issues will always be the norm, but the manner in which these issues are handled can be changed. In general taking extreme measures to meet a weight goal to prepare for an athletic competition or to meet a personal physical goal is not the path to take.

College students should know better than to cop out and risk damage to themselves in order to appease others.

Next time the urge to lose pounds quickly or to outperform someone else in a competitive field arises, do not take the easy and dangerous way of taking extreme measures. Take into consideration what the effects of your actions will be. Is getting a little recognition from your peers really worth it?