Thursday, March 31, 2011
Obesity on Campus (by anon)
I know most people post about the problems with our government and other political issues but as much as I should be concerned about it, I'm not. You see, there's this BIG problem not only on our campus, but the entire world. Obesity. As a student studying to become a dietician, I see the problem everywhere and it concerns me to an extreme extent. I don't think that students understand that what they eat effects their future. Obesity can cause diabetes, high blood and cholesterol levels, heart attack, stroke, asthma, and mental issues. While I would love to think the students are choosing the healthy options that are available at the dining halls and in the UC but, I know that it is not the case. I see people all the time with unhealthy options and soda instead of water and a well-balanced meal. I work at a dining area on campus and when I see how many more double cheese burgers are sold than salads I literally get disgusted. By eating the nutrients your body needs you are able to do so much more. It increases your concentration and yes, you will gain more energy with healthy foods than with a 21 oz cup of pure liquid sugar Mt. Dew. When you start eating healthy at a young age, those habits stick with you throughout your life. It becomes habit to grab a yogurt instead of ice cream. I understand that eating healthy can be expensive but in the long run, you'll end up spending that money on hospital bills if you keep eating crap everyday. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my sweets and pizza but it is all about limiting yourself and portion control. Did you know that the average size of dinner plates has increased over 50% since the 1950's? That means we are eating twice as much food as we used to. People don't know how easy it is to transition into a healthy life style. By simply trading water for soda you can carve off 500 calories a day, or by taking the stairs instead of elevators, both are easy things that are totally achievable for anyone. The health of our campus and our world is at risk with this pandemic. If something is not done soon, future generations are going to be in horrible health. Childhood obesity has already tripled in the past two decades. That is unacceptable. We need to reflect upon ourselves and realize that we are killing ourselves with what we eat and make a change!
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So there's a LOT of people out there who are either overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. And these people probably already had mental issues before they started overeating and eating garbage, and if they didn't, then they are simply not using common sense, or they just don't care. The lifestyles people live today (at least in America) are disgusting, as far as eating and exercising habits go. I feel like maintaining a balanced diet and keeping oneself physically active is pretty much a no-brainer if one wants to maintain a healthy weight. I mean, usually we know when we're eating junk that's not going to do us well in the future. However, sadly, with the crazy things they put in our food these days, who really knows when they're actually eating something unhealthy. For instance, there's a debate about high fructose corn syrup - a lot of people will say it's terrible for you (and sadly we don't realize how common it is in our food/drink), and now some ads (funded by people who are invested in HFCS, coincidentally) are trying to tell us it's still natural and not harmful at all (which I think is BS). Another example - all those low calorie yogurts and whatnot, all the "fat free" crap and diet soda, all appeal to people who are trying to lose weight, but ironically, it seems that none of that stuff really helps! You can't trust the FDA anymore, or what companies say will help you lose weight, all you can do is read the labels these days (the shorter and more natural the list, the better), and if you're eating at fast food places, restaurants, and cafeterias all the time, then you're really screwed (unless you really investigate the food you're being served). If people can't take the time to think about what they are actually putting into their bodies in order to realize it's not good, and if they can't be conscious of and take control over themselves and what they eat, it's their fault, and they deserve to be weeded out. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen exactly because we've got not only what big corporations claim to be the cure (crazy diet pills, ridiculous exercise contraptions, "diet" food, Weight Watchers, etc.), we also have health-care available that will take care of people's obesity-related health problems...and these are all things that just continue to supplement the bad habits. This may sound bombastic, but I say if we really want to change America's eating/exercising habits, we have to go with survival of the fittest, and let the least fit meet their fates. No more gastric bypass. No more helping the obese who have no will to help themselves. We certainly aren't going to stop the companies producing all the garbage food and miracle weight loss crap anytime soon. And education won't work because who's really going to listen when crappy food is the most available, cheapest, tastiest, and convenient food out there?
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