Health experts are debating alcohol’s benefits and many other health-related issues. With so many mixed messages floating around, the line between truth and myth can be blurry.

The holidays are quickly approaching, and food and New Year’s Resolutions are on many people’s minds. Three Western employees who are experts in the fields of nutrition and fitness have advice to help students make healthy decisions and evidence to disprove many common misconceptions.

Karen Mason, a registered dietitian and nutrition professor, said the theory that alcohol is good for the heart is a trustworthy one. For men, two or less drinks a day can benefit their hearts, while the amount for women is one or less daily, she said. A “drink” means a half an ounce of alcohol, which can be found in 12-ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1 ounces of hard liquor.

Mary Yonaitis, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., said that even after finding out the truth, she still isn’t sure whether to believe that alcohol consumption can be beneficial.

“I guess almost everything in moderation can be healthy,” she said. “Alcohol is good, but I don’t know if it’s good for you. There’s so much new stuff that comes out, I don’t know what to believe.”

Mason said she’s heard several myths that many students believe, such as food eaten late at night will turn to fat and cause weight gain.

Don Grubbs, a senior from Greenbrier, Tenn., said he believed this myth because he’d always heard it was true.

“I don’t eat past 8 because typically your energy slows down and it goes straight to fat,” he said.

But Mason said it actually doesn’t matter how late food is eaten. It’s just a myth.

“That’s not necessarily true,” she said. “It’s more about the total amount of calories for the entire day.”

In a day, the average woman needs about 2,000 calories, while the average man needs closer to 2,500. Mason said if someone hasn’t consumed that amount of calories and it’s late at night, he or she can afford to eat without worrying about automatic weight gain.

Mason also said many college students tend to think that the less food and the less often they eat, the better. She recommends eating every three to four hours so people don’t consume more calories than they need.

“Eating often satisfies your appetite and hunger so that you don’t eat as much,” she said. “I definitely promote snacks.”

She also recommends consuming no less than 1,200 calories, even when trying to lose weight. If someone doesn’t get at least 1,200 calories, he or she is less likely to get the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Instead, she suggests restricting calories by 500 a day, which will lead to losing one pound a week the healthy way.

Doug Newton, manager of the Employee Wellness Program on campus, said American culture is responsible for many college students’ misconceptions.

“People see a well-muscled and well-cut man on TV, and they think that’s the ideal body type, and they need to exercise to a high degree to achieve that body,” he said.

Instead, Newton said people should set goals tailored to their individual self and not to an ideal body type. Walking a dog, doing short bits of exercise and walking to class instead of driving are examples of realistic goals that students can achieve without exercising vigorously, he said.

Todd Misener, the assistant director of Health and Fitness in the Preston Center, said many students have misconceptions about exercise, such as that sit-ups will create a flat stomach when cardiovascular exercise is the only workout that will actually accomplish a toned body.

Many female students falsely believe that if they lift weights, they will get bulky and develop masculine features, Misener said.

“It’s absolute bunk,” he said. “Women are not hormonally equipped to build muscle like men. Strength training should be for all genders and is a very necessary part of any physical program.”

Misener also blames the media for mixed messages that confuse health-seeking college students.

“There is an incredible amount of bad sources of information,” he said. “Dietary supplement companies mislead people just to make a buck, and many other companies turn scientific research into a fallacy to sell a product.”

Misinformation about what’s healthy can be frustrating and confusing. But for credible information, students can visit the Health and Fitness Lab in the Preston Center or look online at Web sites for the Center for Disease Control, American Dietetic Association or the American College of Sports Medicine.

Reach Ashley Maines at features@wkuherald.com.