Gravity pulling you down? A new program coming to Ames may have a solution.

Lighten Up Iowa is coming to campus this spring, in collaboration with the Iowa Games, to combat growing obesity and inactivity among students.

The healthy lifestyle program will encourage students to increase their activity and eat healthier foods, said Kim Nanke, coordinator for Lighten Up Iowa.

It started last year as a general program for adults because two-thirds of the population is obese, said Ruth Litchfield, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition. College students fall between Lighten Up Iowa and the new Go the Distance program, which was added this year for overweight youth, Litchfield said.

The program is made up of accumulated activity and team competitions.

There are two different competitions that students can participate in as teams, but they are being encouraged to participate in the accumulated activity competition, Nanke said.

“Some people don’t realize you don’t have to be in organized sports or activities to exercise,” Litchfield said.

Teams made up of two to 10 people have to sign up together, Nanke said.

Sign up sheets are available in the Iowa Games Office located in the Maple-Willow-Larch Commons, room 3104. The accumulated activity competition counts the number of steps taken per team during a four-month period and converts that number into number of miles walked.

“We encourage 10,000 steps a day as a kind of guideline,” Nanke said.

Whichever team walks the farthest wins, and prizes will go to the top three teams, Nanke said. In the weight loss division, teams enter their total team weight each week, and whichever team loses the greatest amount of weight at the end of the four-month period wins. Participants are also e-mailed five tips on increasing activity and increasing fruit and vegetable intake every week, Nanke said.

“Increasing fruit and vegetable intake will increase the quality of the diet,” said Mary Jane Oakland, associate professor of food science and human nutrition. “Put higher nutrition quality and activity together, and it’s the best we can do to curb weight gain and reduce long-term risk of chronic diseases.”

Fruit and vegetables add vitamins, minerals and fiber to decrease risk of cholesterol and certain cancers, Litchfield said.

“It’s a powerhouse of nutrients for just a few calories,” Litchfield said.

“And regardless of form — whether fresh, frozen or canned — the general concept is increase them, period.”

The program will start Jan. 19 and go through April 20, ending about a month earlier than the statewide program because most of the students will be gone during the summer, Nanke said. The cost is also reduced for ISU students — it is $5 with a free pedometer rather than $10 without a pedometer, Nanke said.