WHAT IS IT ABOUT SORORITY GET-TOGETHERS…

…that makes me worry about the state of the world. Actually, it’s more the female race that concerns me. Let me elaborate.

This past week, my sorority “family” got together to wish one of the girls good luck before she moved to Arizona. (In case you’re a little confused by the “family” concept, let me offer a brief explanation. When you join, you are paired with a “big” who serves as your teacher, guide, and – if you’re lucky – friend. If your big takes more than one little, you have a “twin.” And the family tree grows from there.)

I should also note before I get too far into this discussion, that joining a sorority was never something I planned to do. No one in my family (real one that is), ever went greek in college. But, being a lonely out-of-stater, I thought it would be a good way to meet people – and I was right. In fact, since I’ve left college, I’ve come to appreciate the connections even more. This little get-together, for example, was a welcome break from the monotony of my work week.

The get-together was a potluck, and although my first instinct was to bring a dessert, I "thought healthy" and sprung for a veggie tray. I’m glad I did. Once I got there, I realized that everyone else had brought the most fattening foods imaginable: pizza, bread sticks, cordon bleu balls (you better believe sorority girls had fun with that one), cheesy hash browns, pigs in a blanket, and pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, to name a few.

The crazy part was that everyone there seemed to be on a diet! During the meal (which only some of them actually ate), they discussed how they were limiting their intake to 1,200 calories a day, cutting out carbs altogether, or trying to shrink their midsections down to double zeros so they could dress as sluts (the hot kind) for Halloween. So why did they all bring fattening foods? It beats me. Maybe they were indulging in their heads. Or maybe they were trying to derail their fellow dieters so they looked hotter in comparison.

But back up…1,200 calories?! That’s not even enough to sustain an itty bitty Barbie girl who doesn’t move an inch all day. Last time I checked, whole grains and fruits (which – gasp – contain carbs) make up pretty big chunks of the food pyramid (and MyPlate). And double zero? I hate to break it you darlings, but you’re no longer pre-pubescent!

Now I won’t pretend like I’ve got all this “living a healthy lifestyle” thing mastered myself (after all, my sweet tooth is the biggest one in my mouth), but I DO read a lot about nutrition and health.  I follow health magazines on Twitter, read nutrition textbooks for fun, and listen to podcasts such as Fat 2 Fit (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/), which I highly recommend. I feel like I have a good understanding of how to keep my body healthy.

Based on the knowledge I’ve acquired, I feel pretty confident saying that what these girls are doing is NOT healthy. It’s insane. Starving yourself only slows your metabolism and makes it more likely that your body will lose muscle instead of fat. Plus, you're miserable. Plus, once Halloween is over, they’ll likely gain the weight back (PLUS more). Is it really worth it?

Now I can’t say whether this behavior is more common among sorority girls than in the general female population, so I apologize for my somewhat stereotypical approach to this discussion. However, after attending this get-together, I couldn’t help but be concerned, frustrated and motivated to write about it.

Come on ladies. Let’s strive to eat healthy foods (enough of them!), to exercise regularly, and to enjoy a treat on occasion without feeling like we just committed a sin akin to adultery. After all, life is short. And I think it should be sweet, too.