The first line of Alice Water's "A Healthy Constitution" references the ever-popular documentary on obesity and the dangers of poor nutrition, Super Size Me. Merely referencing the film offers a great deal of insight into the context from which this essay spurs from. As a full time student reading this essay, I definitely know all about the less than healthy food options found in most educational institutions.  For the most part, Sodexo and fast food chains have prepared all of the food served on the meal plan at the USC campus and several high schools I attended. The pre-prepared and over processed meal options available are anything but locally grown, fresh, and low in fat and sodium. I also have witnessed firsthand the obesity epidemic in schools, having known many overweight and obese people in the various schools I have attended. One thing that is surprising about this picture is that our country acknowledges the growing problem of overweight young adults and has attempted to come up with pre-portioned healthy meals for students, but in no way is this evident in the options I have for eating at the University of South Carolina. Like the author of the essay "A Healthy Constitution", I believe that eating healthier can have a wide variety of benefits, beyond just the improved nutrition and other health benefits; knowing where the food we eat is coming from and how the greater community functions to improve the lives of everyone can have a profound impact on of makes its way to the consumer is important to being an informed consumer and making smart decisions about our health and diet. 

As a student at Carolina, it is essentially understood that the food made available on the meal plan is less than healthy. If you are trying to have a healthy, balanced diet, there aren't very many options out there on the meal plan system. The Russell House is the main place students on the meal plan go to for meals, and the vast majority of options available there are fast food or Sodexo-sponsored cafes.  Generally if you order something from Russell House for lunch or dinner, the majority of your meal will consist of white bread or some other form of simple carbohydrate. The reason Sodexo uses foods containing white bread is because of its extended shelf life, allowing for it to stay good for an extended period of time. White bread isn't necessarily bad, but it lacks the vitamins and other essential nutrients found in whole grain. Although it's ok to have sometimes, making white bread a large portion of your diet is simply unhealthy. Although salads are certainly a feasible alternative, there needs to be more options for students that will fit on the meal plan and won't cost much extra. Students at our university also need to have a better idea of the nutritional value of the food they are eating and a way to get fresher, local, healthy alternatives. The first step in revolutionizing the diet and the way students make diet choices is making the healthy choices readily available, convenient, and most of all affordable for them. One easy way to do this is the edible education program talked about in the essay, which can get students to eat healthier and impact their community. 

The other idea talked about in the essay is edible education. Edible education involves connecting students with the community and the food they eat through gardening, cooking, and sharing delicious and healthy meals. Classroom learning is integrated into the process, and the students are able to eat healthier and learn to make healthier diet choices while simultaneously fostering the values of cooperation, community, stewardship, and responsibility. One reason edible education is so effective is because it brings students together and fosters the idea of community instead of just the individual. A similar program was used at my high school; kids were given the resources and space to grow their own crops and eventually some of the food grown in the garden was used for meals for the students. This was a practical course because the students actually used the knowledge outside of the class to grow their own food while learning about the science behind it. 

In conclusion, serious consideration needs to be given to the overwhelming problem of overweight young adults. Through programs like edible education, students are given the resources and opportunity to learn the fundamentals of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, while also learning about the surrounding community and the various aspects of citizenship.  The reason this program could work in a college setting is because it ties in the coursework right into the class.
