Cal State Long Beach educates students on the importance of nutrition, yet it fails to post nutrition facts on campus eateries.
Several restaurant locations on campus do not offer a calorie count of their food selections.
Chain restaurants such as Subway and El Pollo Loco provide a calorie count located next to items on the menu.
This rule should also apply to chain restaurants on campus like Panda Express and El Pollo Loco.
Restaurants such as the Outpost Grill, the Nugget Grill and Pub and Beachwalk lack a calorie count.
For college students trying to be health conscious, the lack of available nutritional information is disconcerting.
CSULB needs to have its restaurants post nutrition information on the menus or make the information accessible online.
Currently, about one-third of the country is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To help combat obesity, measures such as a calorie count on menu options should be available.
In 2011, California passed a law that required chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to post calorie counts on food items, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Restaurants like the Nugget, even though it lacks 19 other locations, should follow the law as well.
The calorie count is a small guide that would aid students in their mealtime selections.
After all, college weight gain can be a major issue for some students.
College students’ bustling schedules can contribute to their dietary habits. A U.S. Census report determined that 71 percent of the nation’s 19.7 million college undergraduates were working part-time in 2011, according to CBS.
Of that number, one in five undergraduates were working at least 35 hours a week.
Trying to eat a decent meal is no longer a priority for students but instead another task to finish quickly.
Calorie counts available at all locations on campus would give students something to reference when making dinner selections before jetting off to class.
Holding a part-time job, balancing a full-time class schedule and trying to maintain a reasonable social life leaves little time for students to fit in physical activity or exercise.
When in a crunch, students oftentimes have little to no time to visit the gym. This kills one healthy option for them.
Using calorie counts to provide students with another healthy option could leave them in a better place.
Posting nutrition information on restaurant menus on campus could help students make more informed eating choices.
By doing this, students will have the opportunity to change their eating habits if they so desire.
CSULB needs to implement the calorie count on all menus on campus soon.
It is a public place for education, and it is the duty of the university to make sure the students are fully educated about the food they consume.
Justine Boren is a junior journalism major and a contributing writer at the Daily 49er.
