Harvard announced yesterday that they would remove Calorie Counters from cafeterias. Below you will find the article in The Crimson. Calories will still be available online and accessible.
My thoughts: I am glad Harvard is acknowledging that there is significant population of students who face or will face eating disorders. A more wide spread campaign might be more effective then taking these cards away. As someone who is in recovery, calories at one point many years ago played a big part daily routine with food. I am torn though when I read about things like this or how NYC has now made it mandatory that places post calorie counts. NYC wanted people to know calories but what about ingredients? I, someone, who enjoys cooking, would rather know than if there is any crap in my food then the calorie count. And really, if I want to treat myself to fries or something out of the ordinary should I really have to be obligated to see the calories posted in from of me? If I wanted that I could go to restaurants or chains such as those healthy fast food places, Know Fat, etc.
Harvard’s attempt is great; it’s bringing media attention on college students and eating disorders. Harvard is still keeping calorie counts online and elsewhere. For those who know and have lived with an eating disorder..We would find those and if not we would be able to on spot judge calories by the roll, the slices of cheese, etc. So, I am not sure if Harvard’s attempt is really going to ease or help those with eating disorders, we can be a manipulative group…the eating disorder allows that.
I prefer the calories not being posted. I would prefer if society wasn’t so thoughtless about weight loss schemes, diets, etc and unattainable standards of woman’s beauty and now the standards for men are rising. What if I have children one day, and in health class they are assigned an assignment to count calories for a week? I will have to speak up that they won’t participate in this assignment. Better yet, I will be proactive and ask for the health curriculum – way ahead of time. J No rolling of the eyes and maybe I am exaggerating. Healthy eating will be taught at home, moderation of all types of food, etc. Counting calories not so sure.
Calorie Cards Removed From Dining Halls
Published On Wednesday, September 24, 2008 11:42 PM
By MELODY Y. HU
Contributing Writer
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After students and parents raised concerns about displayed calorie counts leading to or worsening eating disorders, Harvard University Dining Services removed the index cards detailing nutritional information from dining halls this year.
HUDS spokeswoman Crista Martin said several students and families asked HUDS to consider the impact of making detailed nutritional information known to students.
“The feeling was that for people who have eating disorders or who struggle with issues around the literal value of food, the emphasis on nutrition information does not always lead people to eat in a healthy manner,” Martin said.
A committee of representatives from HUDS, the Bureau of Study Counsel, Harvard University Health Services, and the College met over the summer to discuss the issue. “The decision was made that we needed to review the policy based on some of the inquiries from students, the concerns about eating disorders, and what we were doing to support those students in the dining hall,” Martin said.
Executive director Ted A. Mayer said on the HUDS blog this week that the dining services needs to address “the challenge a quiet and surprisingly large contingent of our community faces with eating disorders.”
“Those individuals can place an undue emphasis on calories and other literal food values, making their placement over every food item a real challenge,” he wrote. “We did what we felt best addressed the special health needs of those individuals.”
Although the nutritional information, which included number of calories, serving size, grams of fat, and grams of carbohydrates, is no longer displayed alongside the food, students can still look up the nutritive analysis either on the Internet or in kiosks in the dining halls.
In addition to making nutritional information available at the kiosks, HUDS will continue to promote healthy eating among students through forums and information session, Martin said.
“We are talking about the benefits of foods as opposed to talking about their literal caloric breakdown,” she said.
