Did Harvard University Dining Services make the right decision?

by Bev Sklar (Subscribe to Bev Sklar's posts)
Sep 28th 2008 5:39PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements

A recent poll of 100 NYC women revealed 79 percent like the new law requiring restaurants to post calories on menu items, and 55 percent said they're ordering less now that they have a clue. Displaying calorie totals at point of purchase -- what could be wrong with that, right? Well, there's another side -- what if you have an eating disorder?

Just this year, Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) pulled nutritional index cards from dining halls in response to both student and parent concerns those cards could lead to or worsen eating disorders. While nutritional details are no longer co-starring with the food, full disclosure is available via dining hall kiosks and the Internet. Read the full explanation from HUDS Executive Director, Ted A. Mayer, here.

A handful of student comments on Mayer's blog post is mixed. One student says displayed nutrition helps student athletes and those who are overweight or watching their weight. Her exact question was, "You're going to deprive us the ability to eat healthily because some don't eat enough?" Another student pointed out you don't need up close nutrition facts to know how to eat healthy -- everyone knows the salad bar is nutritious. Did HUDS make the right decision? Vote in the poll or give us your thoughts in a comment below.

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Comments (6)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

... 9-28-2008 @ 10:06PM

So... even in their late teens and early 20s, the future leaders of America can't be trusted to even feed themselves sensibly when the information needed to make a good decision is handed to them on a silver platter...? That's just very sad and very wrong.

Unless these students are going to always pay (or marry) someone else to do their grocery shopping for the rest of their lives, they're going to have to deal with their problem once they graduate and have to shop in real grocery stores, which have nutritional information posted on the food as well.

Or do these parents and students think the FDA is wrong about putting nutritional information on our food in grocery stores as well?

By the way, depending on what's in the salad bar, salad bars can be horribly bad for people's health. Many dressings have lots of salt, sugar, and fat, and any pre-made salads are very likely to contain way too much dressing. Even raw, iceberg lettuce also doesn't have nearly as many necessary nutrients as people seem to think, so people fill up without getting enough nutrition. Just because it's salad doesn't mean it's healthy.

Lynne 9-29-2008 @ 8:15AM

People with eating disorders already know the calorie count of just about everything. It is their obsession. It think it is a great idea for people who have no idea about calories. Calories posted are a teaching tool that a lot of us could use. Nutrition is not taught well in our country. A very educated person can go her entire life and not know the calorie content of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Perhaps if nutrition were taught, or at least addressed, there would be fewer eating disorders. Decisions should not be made to cater to a smaller percentage of self absorbed eaters.

Andre 9-29-2008 @ 3:35PM

To be honest i think they really did the right thing here.

Andre
@
http://www.Davincisline.com

ela 10-03-2008 @ 3:41AM

yeah...you think an ani girl doesn't know the calorie amount of each shred of cheddar on that salad? think again.

par3 10-03-2008 @ 3:41AM

why do we have to cater to every type of neurosis out there? it's food and it's reality that donut has 300 calories- obscuring the truth doesn't help or hurt...it's the REALITY.

andrea 10-02-2008 @ 3:36PM

This is one of the dumber things I've heard recently. We shouldn't punish the masses because of the problems of a minority of people. AND, as others have pointed out, anorexics know way more about calories than your average person. Thus, leaving the info out hurts no one, but hiding it away hurts overweight people who'd like to drop a few. Which, by the way, are much more common than anorexics.
We need to stop catering to people this way, but in this circumstance, the attempt at catering is even pointless.