Loosening America’s belt one notch at a time

There’s no denying that food can be a college student’s worst friend.

For students living on campus, the risk of that “freshman fifteen” grows even more.

However, in my opinion, the students who eat healthier foods are at a huge risk, even more than the students who eat just your “normal” burger and fries.

I’ll give you an example.

Last week, I was standing in line at Subway.

I distinctly heard a student say, “That sandwich looks good, and it says its healthier. Why not get two?”

That person could have bought a six inch sandwich with, lets say, 600 calories, instead of getting two sandwiches, marked as “light” with around 400 calories a piece. Do the math yourself.

Then there is that person who buckles down and gets the six inch, then completes the order with two pounds of mayo, some southwest sauce, bacon slices and extra cheese.

At least they ordered on wheat, and sacrificed a regular coke for diet.

Another example is in the same student union building, where near the cash registers, students can just grab a candy bar and go (well, with paying, of course).

The part that’s bad for you is, well, they’re all “King Size” can­dy bars.

Believe it or not, you have to go off campus, or to the convenience store, to be able to get a normal sized candy bar. Is this unhealthy? Most likely.

I mean, how easy is it to get a candy bar and just swipe your card? Pretty easy in fact, especial­ly when you are going to class in a hurry.

Another thing that I have seen, mostly off-campus, is the ways to “get larger for cheaper.”

Try and remember back, if you can, the days of the Supersize at McDonald’s and the Biggie at Wendy’s.

Back then they would ask you, for example, “Would you like to supersize that?”

The customer would get the op­tion, for just 50 cents more, to up­grade their drink and side to a larger amount

Sadly, it’s still around. For just 50 cents more, upgrade to a foot­long.

For 75 cents more, you can get large fries and a 44-ounce drink.

Sooner or later, it will shrink your wallet, and even expand your waistline.

Should colleges stop offering these upgrades and incentives?

I think they should, but at the same time, show the amount of calories and fat that an upgrade to something larger would give you, instead of just the ounces of soft drink and the size of fries.

Would students pay 50 cents more for 8 extra ounces of drink?

I think they would.

But would students pay 50 cents more for 450 extra calories, and 22 extra grams of fat?

That is up to you and your flex dollars, to decide.