USU Striving to Be Well
After ordering at The Hub, students may have noticed a Be Well sticker placed on their sandwich. This is part of a campaign for the Be Well program at Utah State University.
Healthy food items are considered those with fewer than 600 calories, 30 percent fat and at least 6 grams of fiber, and are rewarded with a sticker. If the sticker isn’t reward enough, Be Well items also receive a 10 percent discount and a “comeback card” with which they will receive one free meal for every 10 purchased.
Caroline Shugart, Wellness coordinator, is orchestrating the Be Well program and said she is as passionate about this program as she is about her own well-being. Shugart was hired by USU three years ago in an effort to combat health care costs. Shugart said health care costs are on a rise and many can be attributed to smoking, inactivity and poor nutrition. She said 60-70 percent of health care costs are lifestyle related.
The Be Well program is responsible for finding and identifying healthy options on campus while promoting the importance of wellness. Shugart said the Be Well program does this with a slew of partnerships and programs such as nutrition counseling, fitness assessments, fitness classes, walking clubs and collaborations with the The Hub and The Junction.
“My goal is to help with the creation of a wellness culture for all at USU – employees, students, the university community – through partnerships, programs, and policies,” Shugart said.
The Be Well program is open to all but originally started for USU employees and their families. Be Well services are free of charge for employees, but some services may have a small fee for students.
“Blue Goes Green, and the Junction Goes Lean” is the slogan at The Junction. Lindsey Wiltshire, customer service manager at The Junction, works closely with Shugart to create healthy meal options for USU. Students are regular customers at The Junction and frequently order the Be Well omelet and Be Well pasta dish.
“I personally love the Be Well campaign,” Wiltshire said. “I love the way dining services has worked with the Be Well coordinator on campus, to give the students and staff healthy alternatives to the menu.”
Shugart said new Be Well options will be added throughout the semester and The Junction welcomes and encourages new ideas for entrees.
America boosts alarming rates of obesity, but some may not know that Utah, once known for having low obesity rates, no longer falls into the low obesity category. Shugart said there is a definite need for a Be Well Program on campus. She said she has spoken to various classes at USU about obesity being a growing epidemic and the need for a healthy lifestyle.
“Obesity has sky-rocketed among 15-20-year-olds,” Shugart said.
Obesity is a multifaceted issue in which marketing plays a heavy hand, Shugart said. She gave many examples such as: McDonald’s is a major sponsor of the Olympics and Coca-Cola is also the official beverage of the Olympics. Shugart said not only are fast food and beverage companies sponsoring worldwide sporting events, but they can also be found on college campuses throughout the nation. Having these companies that aren’t promoting nutrition can send the wrong message to consumers.
Shugart said if students drank one 12-oz. can of soda a day for a year, they would gain 26 pounds of body fat. That is much more than the “freshman 15”. Shugart gave examples of positive steps, as well. She said New York City has been doing “amazing” things concerning nutrition. They require many food and beverage establishments to list how many calories are in their menu items. Shugart said this is a great idea and keeps people mindful of the amount of calories they are consuming.
Alex Baldwin, senior majoring in creative writing, works as a personal trainer with the Be Well Program. He said exercise and proper nutrition are vital to being healthy. He offers personal training free of charge to employees of USU.
Baldwin said he grew up in a family of athletes and started out training his roommates in boxing during college. Baldwin says being in Logan is like living in one enormous fitness facility and “people have to really find more of an excuse not to exercise.” There are a lot of places students can exercise for free. Baldwin recommends biking, taking a walk in the park, hiking in the canyons and snow-shoeing at Green Canyon.
“You should exercise 30-60 minutes every day,” he said.
Baldwin said part of student’s exercise should include weight training. However, students should not weight train for more than 45 minutes in one sitting. Along with exercise, eating right is key.
Baldwin said the best diets are colorful meals that include a variety of fruits and vegetables.
– k.grant@aggiemail.usu.edu