As the winter weather settles in and the holidays approach, the smell of pumpkin pie often permeates kitchens while hot cocoa simmers in the kettle. While such amenities provide comfort and warmth, without exercise to cancel the calories, they also may result in tighter clothes and lazy tendencies.

?In the summer, teens and adults are naturally more concerned about their weight because of swimsuit season and skin-tight clothing,? Claire Kister, ?08, said. ?Near the end of Oct. it gets harder to stay motivated to keep off the pounds. I mean what?s an extra 5 lbs when the layers hide the rolls of fat anyway??

Despite the superfluity of pies and cookies during the Christmas season, weight gain is not inevitable; many monitor eating and stay active through the holidays.

?Staying in shape is extremely important,? Kevin Damn, ?09, said. ?It affects your attitude throughout life.?

In an Oct. 24 Feather poll, 125 responded to the question: what do you do to stay in shape? Only 7% stated they do not exercise.

Student body president and captain of the varsity cheer squad, Samantha Krikorian, was among the 11% who said that they go to the gym to work out.

?I go to the gym everyday and watch what I eat,? Krikorian said. ?Although staying in shape is significant to me, I alter my eating habits just a little for the holiday goodies. When you are younger, learning how to keep your body fit is important to lead a long and healthy life.?

Among the 12% who said they jog, bike, or skate, Zach Marsh, ?08, does so to rid his self of excess energy.

?I go snowboarding sometimes and skate almost every day, not because I am trying to stay fit but because I have so much energy,? Marsh said. ?If I don?t run around I will go crazy with fidgetiness.?

The majority of the votes went to physical activity through PE (21%) and participation on a sport team (49 %).

?The way you view the process can determine your level of success,? Renee Cloe, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, said. ?Exercise safely and within your fitness level, remembering that travel can take its toll on the body as a result of stressors like changes in time zones, climate and daily schedules. While exercise may help some people cope with these changes, other people may need to slow down a bit.?

Those wanting the ?bikini body? who either lack the time to exercise or simply do not possess the desire, often resort to disorders such as Bulimia or Anorexia, or take diet pills to suppress the appetite.

The US Food and Drug Admission (FDA) discourages such dietary supplements instead of regular meals. Diet pills lack the daily nutrients that the body requires. The organization also suggests checking with a doctor as well as reading the label for the ingredients before ingesting any dietary supplements; they may be harmful to health.

Researchers from Consumer Reports found that certain dietary supplements or the ?dirty dozen? may cause cancer, severe kidney damage, heart problems or death.

?I took Envy dieting pills to lose the extra weight for formal and it worked,? a junior who wishes to remain anonymous, said. ?I don’t take them anymore, but the pills didn’t have any side effects.”

Shailey Jones, girls’ PE teacher, provides her students with numerous tips to get into shape without risking bodily harm through eating disorders or diet pills.

?There are plenty of different activities that you can do on vacation,? Jones said. ?If you vacation in the mountains you can go skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking or ice skating. Of course, if you don?t go out of town you can always go to gyms such as Gold?s Gym or GB3.”

?I think it is important for kids to learn how to stay fit so that it will carry on as they grow,” Jones said. “It’s also important to enjoy the holiday sweets- it?s ok to indulge, but proportion control is the key.?