Packing on the Pounds?
Fine print uncovers food facts

By Lauren Varga and Annmarie Mercieri

Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for more than 300 thousand deaths each year, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Fortunately for Rider students, the University is taking steps to ensure better health on
campus.

“Kids today are so much more aware of food they’re eating,” said Matthew Smith, food service director for Aramark. “[They’re] more aware of what’s healthy and what’s not.”

But being aware of nutrition facts isn’t always enough. Now students can also take advantage of the healthier options Rider is offering.

“We can’t regulate what people eat, but we try to provide them with as many choices as we can,” said Smith. “It’s up to the individual; they just have to be smart about [what they consume].”

The new nutritional information in Daly’s is giving students a closer look at what they’re actually consuming. A salad may sound healthy, but after loading it up with bacon bits and fatty dressings the calories increase.

“For somebody on a diet, it definitely helps me decide what I do and don’t want to eat,” said sophomore Sarah Reynolds.

For all the health advocates who discourage fast food chains, it may come as a surprise that Daly’s lemon chicken has just as many calories as a Big Mac from McDonald’s. A Big Mac alone totals 560 calories while lemon chicken averages 1,000 calories per serving.

Yet, Smith feels “the problem doesn’t lie in what we eat but in the size of our portions.”

While Daly’s has given students healthier options, some members of the Rider community feel it is not enough. With the small fonts leaving an abundance of white space, there is room for even more important information.

“If you’re going to put nutritional facts [on the signs] you might as well list the ingredients,” said freshman Dustin Borochaner. “Some people are allergic to certain things.”

As for junior Nicole Faustina, the new signs do not play a part in her eating habits.

“I don’t even pay attention to them,” she said. “When I first noticed the signs, the lettering on them was too small. Actually, I got mad at first.”

Students should be relieved to know that the signs are still a work in progress.

“[The signs] are an Aramark program,” said Smith. “As soon as we can fix that, we’ll make the font and everything bigger so that it’s just that much more easy to read.”

Not only are nutritional values re-shaping the campus, but the Student Recreation Center (SRC) also has taken a step forward as well. The new SRC offers students a larger facility, new equipment and professionally instructed group exercise classes. Senior Diana Pittman said the new classes offer a different experience in her work out routine.

“I try to keep my classes fun and change things up so it’s not the same thing every time,” said Jennifer Stern, a certified Aerobics and Fitness Association of America fitness instructor.

The classes offer a relaxed social environment for students who may not like the idea of individual workout routines.

“I think exercise is a social thing as much as it is a health thing,” said Stern. “Your social well-being is an important component of fitness.”

Conflicting schedules is not an issue when it comes to the group exercise classes. There are opportunities for students because the classes are offered weekly at an array of times.

“My work schedule gets hectic,” said Pittman. “I really enjoy the different times they have to offer.”

Mixed feelings about managing students’ weight may arise but being knowledgeable about the food one eats, taking advantage of health information and keeping active are all positive strides toward a healthy life.

“I know I’m helping myself by balancing the foods I eat at Daly’s and taking advantage of the offered classes,” said Pittman. “The choices I make now will affect my health in the future.”