Before leaving for college we heard our fair share of warnings about living on campus from our parents. One of the most "visible" of these warnings is the freshman 15. We worry that our parents will ask us the question "have you gained weight?" But who do we have to blame? Could ALL of the 15 pounds be our fault? Since the downturn of the U.S.'s economy we have paid much closer to the "99 cents" deals at fast food joints and the two-for-one's at local restaurants.A surprising survey shows that "over 1,000 Americans revealed that 25 percent were more likely to eat high-calorie comfort food because of the economic downturn." This applies most of all to college students because of how much our diets could change compared to our meals at home where our parents usually choose what we eat. The lack of home cooked meals we have when staying in residence halls might have affected your diet. We are more likely to choose the cheapest alternative because we must ration how much we spend on our food as compared to how much we spend on other things such as paper, ink, etc. The healthier alternatives are replaced with "frozen meals loaded with fat and sodium." Can we blame the economy for our poor eating habits? Or are we solely responsible for the 4th meal runs to taco bell late after midnight? The reality is that we are the ones who make the decisions.
The truth is nobody forces us to eat anything. If you happen to have a meal at a more carb-loaded place consider the alternatives. Many fast-food restaurants have increased the amount of healthy products on their menus to promote healthier lifestyle and as students it is our choice to take advantage of that.
(Originally Posted 2/28/09 9:40 PM)
2 comments:
It's a known fact that the poor in America have health problems that the middle and upper classes do not, and the reason is an unhealthy diet of starches and fried foods. Diabetes and heart disease are striking even children these days, and these are the children of the poor. Economizing on food usually means your choices become more limited. Yes, the problem for college students is serious, but this is a major issue for public health agencies.
I feel that you make a very good point on how the economic-downturn is contributing to the weight gain of US students, however I feel as though this is an informative letter rather than argumentative. You need to make a definite stance/ opinion on the claim that you make. After reading this post I was unsure if you believed that the economic-downture was, infact, the reason students are gaining weight. A way to fix this is to conclude with a statement rather than a question.
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