GLORIA SHELLER
Staff Writer
It is no news to Americans that our country is fat compared to the rest of the world. Sadly, despite what we know about the dangers of being overweight, the number of obese Americans continues to increase.
Thirty-one percent of Americans are 30 or more pounds overweight making them clinically obese. By 2008 that 31 percent will jump to 39 percent, according to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center director of the Center for Nutrition, James Hill.
What is linked to weight related health problems such as obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes? The greasy, salty and oh-so delicious fast food meal.
In the 2004 documentary “Super Size Me,” filmmaker and star Morgan Spurlock experimented with the effects of eating an all McDonald’s diet for one month. Despite the discouragement he received from his eight doctors, Spurlock proceeded. At the end of his 30-day McDonald’s binge, Spurlock had gained 25 pounds and suffered from depression and other health problems.
In response to “Super Size Me,” McDonald’s implemented many changes in its menus, including the “Go Active! Adult Happy Meals.” Even the name makes you want to get out and get healthy. The meal boasts a salad, water, a step counter and a pamphlet on the benefits of walking. OK, thanks, McDonald’s.
Burger, fries and a Coke. Sometimes that is just more appetizing than a salad. It sounds pretty standard but in reality, this combination can harbor up to 1,500-plus calories, which according to some specialists, should be about two-thirds of one’s daily intake.
Suddenly the burger becomes so unappealing. But the exact same meal has been served up in Waves Cafe. Actually, that combination is being carried out almost every day for lunch. Is Pepperdine contributing to the fat epidemic?
Technically, yes. Pepperdine’s dietitian, Katherine McCune R.D., said the portion sizes in the cafeteria are much too big for the majority of our student body.
Seaver is mostly made up of women, but the average dinner in the Caf is ideal for a grown man. McCune went on to say that the food in the Caf is substantially of better quality than typical fast food because it is fresh. So students are getting too much of top-rate fast food. This is not good enough.
What are we to do? Should Pepperdine employ an elementary school milk monitor? Hardly. People just need to take responsibility for their eating habits. It is not Pepperdine’s job to make sure we eat our fruits and veggies.
College students are fully capable of doing such themselves. Choosing a chicken sandwich takes the same amount of effort than it does getting a cheeseburger.
It comes down to people being too lazy to eat well. Good food is there. Eat it. Why in the wake of our country being so overweight, are students upset that we do not have any disease forming fast food establishments on campus?
Most statistics prove that sadly it is just too expensive for Americans to eat well. A fast food meal can come to as little as $2 — for a struggling college student, cheap is good. But on campus, it is cheaper to eat well.
Thanks to Seaver’s meal plan, food is paid for with points. One swipe of a card and your dinner is served. No driving down Pacific Coast Highway or scraping for loose change under the seat required. You don’t live on campus? Find people who do and use thier cards. It’s easy. But if you need advice on how to ask a stranger for a meal, don’t fret. Consult the men’s water polo team and they’ll demonstrate.
Be thankful that the smell of fast-food is not polluting our campus. In the long run, our fast food free campus is saving you from some long-term health problems, as long as you go easy on the portions.
11-10-2005
