We have all heard about the dreaded “freshman 15” weight gain and, in fact, studies have shown that
one in four college students will gain five percent of their body weight during their college career. This
may be due to the fact that not enough healthy options are being provided to college students.
One place many students head to is the vending machines. Across the Buffalo State campus, there are
machines filled with cookies, candy, chips and soda, and this seem to be a cheaper alternative to buying
the food in the dining halls. Without a meal plan, this food tends to be too pricey for the average college
student to eat on a daily basis.
As a commuter, I’m only on campus for short periods of time, but sometimes I get hungry.
Unfortunately, the price for an average meal on campus is nine dollars or more.
Sure, Buffalo State sells salads and whatnot, but these cost just as much as the unhealthy foods. So, due
to the high prices, I frequently run to the nearest vending machine.
Vending machines are known for their convenience. They’re easy to access between classes and the
average snack in a vending machine only costs a dollar and change, making it way cheaper than buying a
meal on campus. However, the problem still remains that these options are not good for our health.
We live in a society where junk food surrounds us daily. We can’t walk two feet without seeing some
type of unhealthy food. There are several fast food joints, supersized meals and of course, vending
machines filled with processed foods.
This made me think – Why can’t we serve healthier options in vending machines? It would only involve
removing some of the unhealthy food from the vending machine and replacing them with something
good for us. For example, at my middle school and high school, the vending machines offered options
such as apples and granola bars.
Vending machines also sell refrigerated items, and this means that they could provide foods such as
cheese sticks or yogurt, which are two very healthy options.
It might be a long shot to add healthy foods to the vending machines here but it’s worth a try. I know
many college students are trying their hardest to be healthy and keep the pounds off, but it’s very hard
when we are surrounded by unhealthy options and processed foods.
Changing the contents of the vending machine is just one way that we can strive to be healthier. After
all, it only takes one small step to change an unhealthy lifestyle.
Julia Lange can be reached by email at lange.record@live.com.