When Mike Penna needs something to eat, he has a variety of interesting choices.

‘I eat from Burger King, Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts… (they’re all) pretty much unhealthy stuff.’

Penna, a junior musical theatre major, is among the hundreds of Syracuse University students who eat at places like Kimmel Food Court and Schine Dining Center, where food choices consist of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates. A recent study by Pediatrics magazine indicates that Americans aged 4 to 19 consume fast food daily. This could give adolescents a six-pound weight gain per year, as well as a higher risk of obesity, the study concluded.

Students at SU, though, have a wide variety of fast food services as an alternative to regular dining hall food. Healthy selections are limited at campus food courts, where the healthy food options consist of sandwiches and a select fruit and vegetables.

‘Students (are probably) not given healthful choices – they are in a hurry (to eat),’ said Sarah H. Short, a nutrition professor. ‘The food people want to make money on something that will sell and taste good.’

Geoff Lutz, a junior musical theatre major, would prefer to eat healthier food, yet he finds the only healthy options too expensive compared to cheaper, greasy food.

‘I try to go to the sandwiches (section), but they are overly priced so I end up choosing to eat hamburgers,’ Lutz said.

Eating hamburgers excessively, though, can lead to serious problems.

Meat products are high in saturated fat which can give individuals an elevated risk in heart disease and some forms of cancer, according to a New York Times article about the study. Fast food is full of fat because it carries nine calories per gram, Short said.

Although fast foods pose a major health risk, it is not the only part of the rising state of obesity in young adults, Short said. A major problem is students sitting in front of TV, computers, and in class, not getting enough exercise.

Short also mentioned that larger portion sizes at fast food services also contribute to the obesity problem.

People increased their calorie intake by 16 to 56 percent when eating larger portions of food, according to a study by Dr. Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University.

The study suggests making smaller portion sizes. By doing so, students should eat fruits and vegetables before eating a meal. In this case, the body will begin to become full, leaving enough room for a smaller portion.

Short, though, does not believe that there is any clear cut way to try to prevent obesity.

‘There is no simple or magic solution,’ Short said. ‘People need to move twice as much and eat half as much – easier said than done.’

Published on February 24, 2004 at 12:00 pm