Whether it’s the numerous Weight Watchers commercials that continuously highlight Jennifer Hudson’s new slim body or the low-calorie menus now offered at popular restaurants, people are becoming more interested in getting fit and achieving better health.

Just recently, it seemed as if everyone was interested in going green for their community. People were promoting the importance of using less energy and water and recycling. Now, it looks as if more individuals are going green for the body based on studies that have shown more consumers choosing healthier options while also working out.

Social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram and even Pinterest, offer recipes and appealing photos of food prepared by users. People are now uploading photos of themselves after a workout, which can be encouraging for other people. Ultimately, it depends on who the users follow on these sites. Following someone on Instagram like Jillian Michaels — a personal trainer on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” — will help motivate individuals to get up and get healthy.

In addition, more workout videos are being released, such as Insanity and P90X, that allow people to work out in the comfort of their own homes. Most of these videos don’t require equipment and are cost-effective, seeing that it is a one-time fee, unlike gym memberships.

Although more people are making fitness a habit, some are unfortunately becoming addicted to it. According to WPLG Local 10 News, addiction to exercise can be emotionally and physically damaging.

“They tend to compromise time that they would have spent with their family or work or friends, for example,” said Anthony Vempala, an exercise physiologist at Memorial Hospital West. “It takes a toll on them,” the article stated.

Working out and maintaining a healthy diet produces great results that help people feel better about themselves. Many people have lost weight and now feel more confident about how they look and feel. When they take a couple days off from working out, they fear that they will gain the weight back, and those fears can take over one’s life, which can create an addiction.

It is extremely essential for people to take care of themselves by eating better and working out, because good health increases one’s life expectancy. It also allows one to be more active with family and friends. Although working out at least three to five times a week while also making better eating choices may be difficult in the beginning, it will become less complicated over time and can ultimately become a habit.

An article published in The Examiner explains that “a habit is formed, on average, after 66 days of repetitive enforcement. That means 66 days of constantly following a cue with a response, like checking email every time you hear the ding of your inbox go off.”

If people continue to remember that becoming healthier should be a lifestyle change and not a temporary choice that was made to quickly lose weight, they will find fitness to be more like a routine than a hassle.

Since obesity is such a huge problem in the world today, it is beneficial that more people are interested in living healthier lifestyles. With March being National Nutrition Month, hopefully eating healthier and becoming more fit will not simply be a fad that will soon fade away.  People should continue to eat better and partake in activities that will increase their well-being, and also encourage others to hop on the bandwagon.