When I see the obese 20 year old walking out of the student union with a 32 oz. soda, a personal pizza, and a side of fries, I just want to know how this came to be. Does she have a pizza craving? Is this her normal lunch option? Did Pizza Hut have the shortest line, and that's why she chose pizza? Is that meal one of the only options in her budget/price range? Did she choose her food based on convenience of location (student union)? Does she know how bad that food truly is for her, and what it does to her body? I have so many questions for this stranger, but I don't ask her. Why? Well, because it's rude. I just want to know the reasoning and the justification of the student's food choices.
It's really a matter of convenience I think, for many of the reasons you've stated in this post.
ReplyDeleteI know that when I buy the personal pizza and soda from the on campus Pizza Hut, it's because it's one of the most affordable options and almost always the fastest too. I only have one break within my 10-6 pm school days and I typically have school related tasks that leave me little time to wait in long lines and chew up the little between-class freedom I have.
I try to bring carrots and other such stuff to snack on during my break, and I try to eat healthier on the days I'm at home. But it must be tough being a student living on or near the campus, as there are very few good food options locally.
The obvious answer is that terrible unhealthy choices taste better. The high fructose corn syrup and and high amounts of salt account for why those unhealthy foods taste better. If it works for those foods why not salad? Vegetables and salads don't have any flavor until you slather them with ranch or thousand island dressing and even those dressings (especially ranch) are terribly unhealthy if you look at their actual fat and cholesterol content. But even though salads have dressing, people much prefer the taste of fried chicken and a cheese burger slathered with barbeque sauce. And whatever tastes better sells better. Its why at the fastfood restuarant I used to work at they barely carried the veggie burger. Their was only two packs of veggie patties (12 patties total) kept in the freezer. Hundreds of beef beef patties maybe even more were kept in the freezer and they sold fast and often. Someone once told me they tried a veggie burger and they said the veggie pattie tasted like cardboard. I tried it and it did not. People (including students) like foods with higher sugar and sodium content. Even I do sometimes. So convenience only plays a small role.
ReplyDeleteI think that people who are obese, are so for a reason. The reason may be deeper than it is just because of conveyance or it all, but rather, because of self image problems. Part of the problem lies in the hands of the media, it's consist broadcasting of women and men who have some sort of unobtainable kind of image it often times depressing. It yearning a to want to fit in but not necessarily knowing how to do so.
ReplyDeletethese are very good questions. I believe that there can be many different answers to each of these questions. Obesity can be from a variety of things like nutrition and family background for example. As for her eating the pizza, she could have had only enough for that or she didn't have time to look for healthier options.- Jhon'Tay Bryant
ReplyDeleteThat’s because there is less option to get any healthy meal on campus. Even though she might not have enough time to go out of this campus, she can get any healthy meal on campus if this school offers it. In my country, everything on campus like meal, snack or drinks are cheap, compared the one outside of campus. Also, students can have healthy diet with only 3 dollars because the school supports the cafeteria and vending machine on campus financially. This school should find that kind of solutions to help students have nutritious meal.
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