Maddie Bazarek ’16 shared her passion for healthy lifestyles through her social issue project for the Graphic Design course at Regina Dominican.

There are many different issues sweeping the nation today that can affect large groups of people. However, one of the most gripping problems is more personal—living a healthy lifestyle. Millions of Americans struggle with this issue, as illustrated by the statistics all over the internet. According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, there are around 78 million American adults who can be classified as obese. These numbers continue to rise as people stick to the cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle.

The definition of an unhealthy lifestyle is more difficult to pinpoint, however. One definition states that people taking part in activities negative to one’s health constitutes an unhealthy lifestyle. The World Health Organization states an unhealthy diet as a major cause of chronic illnesses and other preventable diseases.

The effects of an unhealthy lifestyle can last a lifetime, as many people suffer from chronic, and often preventable, illnesses. These illnesses include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. Living with these diseases can bring about expensive healthcare costs and tremendous stress on the affected person and their loved ones.

Unfortunately, many children begin the cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle at a very young age. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 17% of children age 2-19 can be classified as obese in America. These unhealthy lifestyles are also tied to poverty and education levels within a family. That makes it even more difficult to stop the cycle of obesity for millions of children across the country.

However, as shown in Bazarek’s graphic, the time to get fit is now. There are countless resources to turn to for advice on how to live a healthy life. The American Heart Association has many helpful tips to jump-start a healthy life. Some tips include: eating a variety of healthy foods from all food groups, being aware of your calorie intake for the day, and by limiting consumption of sugary drinks and additives.

Maddie Bazarek ’16 answers some questions regarding her graphic design poster:

Q: Can you explain your topic?

A: The topic of my project was body image. More specifically, pushing healthy lifestyles for adults.

Q: Why is this topic important to you?

A: This topic is important to me because living a healthy lifestyle has made me feel happy. I have been surrounded with athletics and sports since I was in first grade. I have become so accustomed to it, that it has become a big part of my life. It is also my outlet. If I am having a bad day, exercise is how I let off steam and relax. After exercising more often, I thought I should try to cut back on how much junk food I consumed and started to eat healthy. After eating healthier, I began to feel better about myself and I want everyone to feel good about themselves through this lifestyle.

Q: What are you trying to accomplish with this visual?

A: Through this advertisement, I am trying to encourage people to find the time to be healthy and try to change their unhealthy lifestyles.

Q: What was your inspiration?

A: My inspiration… hmm. Well I knew I wanted to do something about body image, but I wasn’t sure as how to portray it. So I started looking at magazines and I found an advertisement for some sort of watch.  I turned a couple pages into the magazine and I found an advertisement for some sort of weight loss program. It was a photo of an obese woman standing on a scale. It kind of just hit me that I wanted to do something with “time to get fit.”