Madison Richardson

English 111
“Food is the Problem and the Solution” Commented [1]: Good use of quote from TED Talk!

Obesity in America
In major cities, it is made extremely difficult for people to obtain fresh produce and foods
and therefore they are forced to resort to processed and pre-prepared options. This, therefore,
These choices is are having a negative impact on the health and well- being of the individuals
that live in these areas. People who live in large, urban areas are the most at risk for these Commented [2]: I’d like to see more contextualization
nutritional setbacks. (Finley, 2013). According to the World Atlas, areas that have the highest of this source.

obesity rate in America tend to be large cities and metro areas. (Pariona, 2019) According to
data from the Cencer for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 Americans Commented [3]: Proofread/run spell check
between the ages of 6 and 19 are considered obese, accounting for approximately 20% of the
population. And this number only continues to increase as the age demographic gets higher.
Seventy percent of all adults over 20 are considered overweight and of those 40% are
considered to be obese. (CDC, 2016) This dynamic needs to change if we want to solve the
obesity epidemic that has become present in the United States and around the world. The lack
of education about healthy food options and the minimal access to unprocessed, fresh foods are
major contributions to this issue and is currently one of the leading causes of death throughout
the country and the world.
One of the biggest issues behind this problem is the pure lack of access to healthy, fresh
food options. This is particularly prevalent on college campuses across the United States. At
Saginaw Valley State University, there are several stores and restaurants on campus that
provide food options for students, but most of these options are fast, cheap, and processed.
With tight schedules and even tighter bank accounts, most students resort to these not so Commented [4]: Good wording
healthy options to fuel them throughout the day. This issue can be solved by instituting healthier
options and making the resources to provide these healthier meals more available to students.
An effective way to do this would be to encourage the institution of gardens around campus to
provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables. As of right now at SVSU, the available
restaurants are limited to the small assortment of options at the marketplace and the fast food
establishments located at the Cardinal Cafe. If the school were to incorporate healthier options,
students would be more prone to go to those places and eat fruits and vegetables as opposed
to greasy pizzas and stir fry. Therefore, “food is the problem, and the solution.” (Finley, 2013) Commented [5]: Again, contextualize this source for
your readers.

Problem Analysis
Beginning in college, typical adults tend to gain about 0.66 - 1.98 pounds each year.
While this doesn’t seem like a significant amount, following this trend for and extended amount
of time can lead to harmful weight gain and typically leads to overweight and/or obesity issues
later in life. (Middleton & Perri, 2013). One of the biggest fears for students starting college is Commented [6]: Place punctuation after citation.
the infamous “Freshman 15,” and while this stigma has been proven to be a myth, the concept
of excessive weight gain during the transition into college has some truth to it on a smaller
scale. Typical college freshman gain approximately 2-5 pounds throughout their freshman year
due to the dietary changes that occur with the transition into college. If college campuses were
to implement healthier options for students, this number would decrease significantly, allowing
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students to maintain healthier lifestyles and allot more time to worrying about studying rather
than food choices.
Many campuses all over the country have already taken action in providing community
gardens that are maintained and utilized by college students. Students at George Washington Commented [7]: Good use of research
University converted areas of unused land in their urban campus to grow fruits and vegetables,
forming their own campus garden. Students walking through campus would largely see the
urban environment of the city, but “if they were to step from the sidewalk over a shin-high
wooden fence, they would enter a wonderland of tiny lovingly tended crops.” (Bahrampour,
2018) In this garden they grew things crops such as shishito peppers, swiss chard, bell peppers,
jalapenos, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, amarynthamaranth, apples, peaches, pears, parsley,
cilantro, red okra, zucchini. Anything that could be used to provide healthy meals for students
was included in the project. Yvana Petros, a student at George Washington University, was one
of the students that led the project and started the garden. She Petros stated that she “wanted
to be around vegetables, and not spend [her] last year of college worrying about pre-
professional stuff.” (Bahrampour, 2018) Initiatives like these not only provide students with easy
access to healthy foods that would not otherwise have been available to them. These gardens
also allow students to get involved on their campuses and participate in projects that will benefit
the health of them and their peers.
Without programs such as this, many students are unable to gain access to the proper
nutrition, which has negative, long term effects on the health of these individuals. In addition to
the health consequences, unhealthy eating habits can also affect students' attentiveness and
academic performance. Sam Abraham, a professor at the Bethel College School of Nursing,
stated that “it is crucial to meet daily nutritional requirements for one’s body to function properly
and to maintain one’s health to the optimal level. Most nutritional values such as protein,
energy, carbohydrates, fats and most minerals can be obtained by food sources.” (2018) Most
college diets are not able to supplement all of these nutritional requirements, and therefore
students’ health is not at its best, both physically and mentally. Without the proper intake of
protein and carbohydrates, students do not attain enough energy to function properly. This
means that physical energy, concentration, and critical thinking skills are severely depleted
without the proper food intake. With the implementation of nutritional gardens on college
campuses, such as Saginaw Valley, the increased access to good food will increase student Commented [8]: Once you introduce an acronym, use
well being and academic performance. it each time.

Solution
I propose that SVSU should introduce student gardens for residents to maintain and use
to produce fresh fruits and vegetables. Implementing these programs does not have to be
expensive or time consuming. The first step in creating a project such as this is to get together a
group of students to bring the project to life. Many college campuses have access to thousands
of individuals who would be willing to devote their time to projects such as these. The second
step, however, is finding the space to develop such a large project.
Saginaw Valley has several areas of largely unused land throughout campus, such as
courtyards, dormitory lawns, and areas along the outskirts of campus. Areas such as these,
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which are relatively unused by students passing by, are perfect areas to begin planting and
growing these gardens. With permission from the school, these lawns could be transformed into
the perfect university gardens.
The next step is to decide what to plant and how to get the materials to do so. This is
where some spending comes into play, obtaining the seeds and supplies to maintain the
project’s progress. Begick Nursery and Garden Center in Bay City provides all of the supplies
necessary to execute the project, such as seeds, plants, shovels, and soil, etc, and is right
down the road from campus, creating easy access to the resources necessary. Funding from
the school or the student bodyStudent Association could cover the costs of these supplies. If no
financial support from the school is possible, fundraising would be the next best option. Then Commented [9]: What might be some examples of
the only step left is to actually begin creating these gardens. applicable fundraising?

The next step in this process is hands on and requires manual labor from the student
body. Clearing the spaces, preparing them for planting, and then finally planting the seeds and
plants. It takes time and energy but overall this step is the most crucial in the implementation of
the project. And after the plants are settled and the gardens are established it is will be the
responsibility of the students to maintain and protect the gardens. In time the gardens will yield
the fresh fruits and vegetables for students to use and enjoy.

Costs vs. Benefits

While creating a project as big as this one does have it’s challenges, for the most part
there aren’t many significant costs. Financially, the cost of the supplies and plants would cost a
good amount of money, however, this money can easily be supplemented by the students. The
students of SVSU would benefit greatly from the ability to have easy access to fresh food and
this benefit would make contribution worth it. If each student donated a small amount of money,
the project cost would easily be covered and every student would have the benefit of being able
to know that they have good, nutritional food to eat every day. This allows them to focus more
on school and less on dietary issues.
Another cost to the school would be the loss of the land used to hold these gardens. To
produce enough food to sustain all of the students who need it, the gardens would have to cover
a lot of space that the school will no longer have access to. The areas, however, will largely be
areas that were not being used to begin with and therefore will not have a significant effect on
the efficiency of land use on campus. In fact, the gardens will positively impact the effective use
of property at Saginaw Valley, converting unused space to a good cause that will positively
benefit the students that live there.

Conclusion
Overall, the concept of converting unused university space to provide healthy, nutritional
food to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it has significantly more benefits than
costs. Not only would these gardens help improve student health and academic performance,
this project would provide a way for SVSU students to come and work together to create and
maintain gardens that will not only improve their experiences, but those of generations of
students to come. It keeps Saginaw Valley’s students well fed and allows them to feel more
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connected to their peers and to their school. It also allows the school to make use of unused
property and provide better dietary options for its students.
Saginaw Valley State University should consider the option of university gardens on its
campus, both as a health and social benefit. The long- term benefits of providing a resource
such as this make any costs relatively obsolete. Without the implementation of projects such as
this one students are more susceptible to poor dietary habits, decreased academic
achievement, and are at a greater risk for serious health issues in the future due to poor eating
habits. This project would reverse these risks and provide a social outlet for students to give
back to each other and their school.
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References

Abraham, S., Noriega, B.R., Shin, J.Y. (2018). College students eating habits and knowledge of
nutritional requirements. Journal of Nutrition and Human Health, 2 (1). h
ttps://www.allied academies.org/articles/college-students-eating-habits-and-knowledge-
of-nutritional-requi rements-9188.html

Bahrampour, T. (2018). In planting campus gardens, university students root themselves in the
larger world. The Washington Post. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/ne ws/inspired-life/wp/2018/09/01/in-planting-campus-
gardens-university-students-root-the mselves-in-the-larger-world/

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (June 13, 2016). The National Center for Health
Statistics: Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obe
sity- overweight.htm

Finley, R. (2013, February). A guerrilla gardener in South Central, LA. Ted Conference. Talk
presented at 2013 TED conference.

Middleton, K.R. & Perri, M.G. (September 22, 2013). A Randomized Trial Investigating the
Effect of a Brief Lifestyle Intervention on Freshman-Year Weight Gain. Journal of
American College Health, 62, 101-109.

Pariona, A. (March 26, 2019). Which U.S. Cities Have The Highest Obesity Rates? Retrieved
from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/fattest-cities-in-america.html

Grade: A