Socha: Obesity caused by poor food choices

My all-time favorite meal is a hot off the grill T-bone steak, cooked rare, with a loaded baked potato and a side of steamed vegetables. Sadly, as tasty as this feast may be, I have come to realize it’s not the healthiest meal to consume on a daily basis. This realization, however, is not apparent to everyone. As a country, our addictions to our favorite foods are beginning to backfire.

Obesity has become one of the top social problems in America and is becoming more serious each year. According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control in January of 2012, from 2009-2010, about 35.7 percent of Americans are obese. These are the most recent statistics, and I expect the percentage to be even higher in the next study.

Basically, as a nation, our relationship with food needs some serious work to prevent this number from increasing. Some will argue obesity can be attributed to a personal responsibility, such as a person deciding to eat a hamburger over a healthier alternative like a chicken sandwich. We are to blame for making unhealthy choices over healthier options, but with our budgets being as tight as they are, who can blame us?

With the majority of college students eating off the value menu, which normally contains higher levels of saturated fats and calories, we are more prone to being obese just because of our lower income level. We eat what we can afford, and sadly, the majority of the time, it is food that is very unhealthy.

With this information, can we truly believe obesity to be attributed to personal fault, or can it be that this is an issue that is out of our control? If establishments sold healthier foods at lower prices, the problem would not be as much of an issue.

Take the South Paw dining hall as an example. Why is Tortilla Fresca on the meal plan but not Subway? Wouldn’t a sandwich with natural cheeses, meats and vegetables be better for students than tacos and burritos? Yes, it may cost a little bit more, but don’t the benefits that come with better food outweigh the cost?

The health of our students should be more of a concern than restaurant profits. With lower quality foods, the overall health of students becomes consequently lower, making them more prone to illness and a higher risk of becoming obese.

Yes, we’re being fed, but if we’re truly concerned about our health and livelihood, we should worry more about what we’re being fed. Only then can we truly address and possibly reverse the issue of obesity before it is too late.