California State University, Long Beach students bit into a healthy lifestyle in celebration of National Nutrition Month.
At an information table outside of Brotman Hall on Tuesday, Student Health Services volunteers and “Wellness Warriors” measured students’ Body Mass Indexes with BMI monitors. They also handed out pamphlets on serving sizes, weight loss and healthy eating to advise those students with limited time and no money.
“We see the outcomes of poor diets and lack of exercise,” Heidi Burkey, the coordinator of the Health Resource Center, said via email. “And also understand the importance of young adults learning to make changes now before they start to have negative health outcomes.”
The Student Health Center started Peer Nutrition Counseling on Monday to kick off National Nutrition Month. Counseling sessions consist of a one-hour free session tailored to fit each individual’s needs, according to the Health Resource Center website.
Burkey said counselors at SHS focus on educating students to eat more fruits and vegetables, portion control and preparing food at home in a cost effective and healthy way.
Students can also meet with a nutrition counselor in the Beach Balance office on the second floor of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, according to the SRWC website.
Beach Balance Student Assistant Anna Carter said that students seeking counsel want to eat better, lose weight and learn about healthy weight gain. She said that because students are constantly on the go, they eat on the go instead of eating a nutritious meal.
5.2 million college students in the United States are obese, and of adults aged 20 and over, 35 percent are obese. Nearly 70 percent of adults aged 20 and over are at least overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The common mistakes college students make when it comes to nutrition are eating a lot of fast food and not exercising on a regular basis, Burkey said.
“Often students don’t realize how much money they spend on eating fast food or junk food,” Burkey said. “[They] think they don’t have enough money to eat healthy, which is untrue.”
Linda Meng, the vice president of Health Science Student Association and a senior health science major, said that eating too many servings is one of the main nutritional mistakes students make. She also said that men who work out often tend to eat too much protein and women tend to eat too many carbs and sweets.
“[It’s] mostly just portion control,” Meng said.
The MyPlate initiative released by the United States Department of Agriculture recommends fruits and vegetables take up half of the plate and the other half is split between protein and grains, half of which should be whole grains.
Students can also attend one hour Nutrition Workshops held once per week in the Health Resource Center to learn about reading food labels, what a portion size is and other information.
