College Calorie Info Could Be Backfiring

From anorexics to obese students, information can spur 'disordered eating'

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 15, 2009 7:36 PM CDT

(Newser) – Colleges that bombard students with calorie counts and similar information to discourage overeating—and the dreaded "freshman 15" pounds—may be causing bigger diet problems instead, reports Newsweek. Many schools are rethinking their strategy in the wake of rising numbers of eating disorders, and a growing sense that a simplistic focus on calories can backfire by stressing out already stressed students.

"Nutrition is not a simple thing that can be distilled down into a label," says one professor. Harvard recently removed cards with calorie counts from its dining room to develop a more nuanced approach to "the challenge a quiet and surprisingly large contingent of our community faces with eating disorders." Not all schools are following suit, but some are taking other approaches. Penn State, for instance, converted one dining hall to a "healthy dining hall," with no junk food and smaller portions.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

A college dining hall. (AP Photo)

A menu with calorie counts. (AP Photo)

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People are concerned about the fat kids being fat and the thin kids having anorexia. But people aren't concerned about the disordered eating among the overweight kids. - Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, University of Minnesota School of Public Health

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 7 comments

BlueAyez

Sep 15, 2009 11:33 PM CDT

What they could do instead is to list at each meal what is being served that's high calorie, median and low calorie meals. This way they can make a choice. They don't have to post the numbers-- just guide the students toward better eating habits. And low carb or no calories still count.

usualsuspects

Sep 15, 2009 10:13 PM CDT

I'm pretty sure the freshman fifteen has more to do with alcohol than food.

Jes

Sep 15, 2009 9:26 PM CDT

That would be nice if the caf served those kinds of food. Everything in a Sodexo caf is terribly unhealthy and very poor quality. If you do manage to find any vegetables they are normally wilted or spoiling. You can only eat so many turkey sandwiches a week before giving in to the temptation of a hot (unhealthy sodium laden) meal or the ice cream bar.

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Lifestyle • Health

obesity • bulimia • anorexia • calories • Harvard • cafeteria • college student • Penn State University • eating disorders • dining hall

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College Calorie Info Could Be Backfiring