[C-U Smokefree] Obesity

[Theotskl at aol.com]

Hi all--

I had no intention to send this one out to the listserve because I am 
occupied with more urgent things at this time. Yet what I see on the part of the DI 
and its staff is something that should not be accepted or tolerated.

The DI published a piece on obesity today stating that it kills more people 
now than smoking. (I have the piece in its entirity below)

  A couple of interesting points (1) while I do appreciate the effort of the 
DI to alert UIUC students about the dangers of obesity, for the life of me, I 
have not seen yet a conserted and systematic effort on the part of the DI to 
alert students about the dangers of smoking and most importantly the dangers of 
exposure to secondhand smoke (what is going on with the staff at the Daily 
Illini?).  I have seen plenty of the opposite trend--to sell tobacco use as a 
cultural asset of campus life, (huh?).

(2) The DI piece claims that a new study reveals that obesity is so bad that 
it surpasses smoking as the number one killer disease. But the is no men
tioning of the study itself, its author(s) , or the journal in which it was 
published --this is a fundamental piece of infornmation that should be included in the 
reporting on obesity.   In the absence of this information , and give, the 
record the DI has on reporting on tobacco use, it should not be surprising that 
the significance of the piece on obesity has nothing to do with obesity, but 
it has a lot to do with the mentioning of smoking being the lesser of two 
evils--that is smoking not being the number one killer. This is consistent with the 
DI's track record of expressing views on tobacco that are misplaced and lack 
any sense of responsible journalism, and its civic obligations towards the 
well being of the community. 

--tht


     
    


Tuesday, March 30, 2004       
 
 
 
SOURCE: http://www.dailyillini.com/news/1356
Accessed 3/30/2004

THE DAILY ILLINI


Campus reacts to obesity studies


By Kali Bhandari | Staff writer
Published Tuesday, March 30, 2004 

A recent study revealed that obesity is set to take over smoking as the 
number one most preventable killer in the United States by the year 2005. While 
experts increasingly warn of the risks related to obesity, some people on this 
campus are still astonished by the findings.
"I think that's really scary," said Lisa Garnett, sophomore in ACES. "I'm 
surprised that it's such a big killer. I mean, I've always (read warnings about) 
obesity, but you always think smoking is the worst thing."
But those who deal with obesity and weight issues every day, as well as other 
students, aren't surprised with the findings.
"I agree (with the findings)," said Becky Roach, nutrition education 
coordinator for the McKinley Health Center Wellness Promotion Unit. "It's our society 
in general — we have all these little machines that do everything for us — 
open the window for us, close the window for us, roll up the garage door for us 
— we live in a wonderful society."
While many college students aren't affected by obesity, Roach said sedentary 
lifestyles can lead to problems such as diabetes and an increased risk of 
heart attacks. She said McKinley recommends increased exercise and healthy eating. 
The center also offers healthy weight management training and registered 
dieticians to address student concerns.
Allison Mosley, senior in ACES, said those who suffer from obesity should 
take more personal responsibility, unless the problem is genetic.
"I'm not shocked," Mosley said. "I guess I think it's to do with leisure 
today — I've never really had a problem with obesity, but I try to stay active."
Sandra Hannum, an academic professional in the Food Science and Human 
Nutrition department, said obesity in college students develops because of an 
increased workload following high school and a change in diet.
"College students usually end up having to do a lot of sitting and reading, 
they usually have less sports activities than (in) high school, and usually eat 
whatever is fastest and easiest to eat — it's easy to see why they'd gain 
weight," Hannum said.
Obesity is easier to prevent than to reverse, Hannum said. She suggested 
students keep playing their favorite sports, try not to reach for their favorite 
fast foods and start cooking their meals instead.
"The students in the Food Science and Human Nutrition department that cook 
usually have less weight problems," Hannum said. "There's a lot of things that 
are easy to make and aren't as expensive as going to a restaurant. People who 
like to cook generally watch what they eat. They're generally better off."
Niamh Condon, senior in LAS, is the president of Illini On The Move, a 
registered student organization that promotes a healthier lifestyle to combat 
obesity.
"We thought (the findings) were shocking," Condon said. "I say it's something 
we should pay attention to — college students are not very obese, but people 
could get lazy, which spills later on to life ... into patterns that could 
lead to obesity later on."
Condon said she and a friend had the inspiration for the organization after a 
physiology professor explained the risks of obesity. They figured that if 
they didn't know about the subject, then other people on campus didn't know about 
it. They are organizing a walk on May 1 to promote walking and healthier 
lifestyles.
"Most college students should make sure they know ... that they're aware," 
Condon said. "I'm not saying that everyone needs to be skinny, but if they're 
not careful, they're going to be a part of the statistic."