Students at UK are wasteful, plain and simple.
The UK Student Diabetic Association found this out in a big way. According to a Sept. 21 Kernel article, UKSDA found that around 500 people at Blazer Cafe on North Campus threw away about 106 pounds of food in a three-hour period.
What is even more astounding is that those within the UKSDA didn’t even expect half that amount of food to be wasted.
Their original expectations were set at 45 pounds, according to the Kernel article.
Wasting food is an issue that needs to be examined. How many times have you seen a person walking down the street looking through trash cans for food? In conjunction with that, how many times has there been food or can drives sponsored on campus?
It is apparent that there is a need to be filled. Students must be conscious of what they choose to put on their plate. Especially at places like Commons and Blazer where there is a buffet with endless amounts of food being put out for students to eat.
Buffets might be the beginning of the problem.
David Parsley, an employee for UK’s Center for Manufacturing, said that the buffets on campus promote wastefulness, according to the Kernel article.
Along with being conscious of what students put on their plate, they must be responsible for when they eat. Eating just to eat is not healthy and contributes to the state of Kentucky being one of the most obese states in the country.
In addition, UK can do more to educate students on healthy eating. It never hurts for students to be more informed about issues that surround their health and the health of their community.
Hi – could you correct the organization name in this editorial? Correct organization is the UK Student Dietetic Association. We will link to several other web pages. These undergrads are studying to be Registered Dietitians (R.D.s), the professionals who provide nutrition education to people with diabetes or those who struggle with obesity. Thanks.