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CNN Sunday Morning

Staying Fit While in College

Aired October 13, 2002 - 10:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we hear it all the time: eat right and exercise to stay fit. It's easier said than done, especially for college students on the go.
Here is CNN's Elizabeth Cohen on staying fit while in college.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With all their classes, tuition bills and homework, many college students don't make eating right a priority.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I have a lot of tests, or I have to do a lot of studying, I have to get something fast.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For lunch, it's really whatever I can grab. I usually snack.

COHEN: Fast foods like French fries, chicken tenders and hamburgers are college dining halls' most popular items, according to recent surveys.

Carol Kelley, a nutritionist at Emory University, gave us a lesson in College Diets 101.

CAROL KELLEY, NUTRITIONIST, EMORY UNIV.: Students will choose foods that are quick and easy to eat on the run, and sometimes that comes at the expense of having more balance with their diet.

COHEN: Kelley says college dining services have catered to student demands for healthier choices, but honey buns and hamburgers are still the grab-and-go favorites.

KELLEY: The variety is definitely there. They have everything from stir-fries to fast foods to hot meals that include vegetables, abundant salad bars. However, students still typically will select what they know as familiar and tasty to them.

COHEN: Kelley says college students aren't invincible to the consequences of unhealthy diets. The Centers for Disease Control reported in their last survey of American college students that one in five students was overweight.

KELLEY: Students may be developing a template, a nutritional template, a pattern that they're going to take with them into adulthood nutrition, is involved with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly diabetes, possibly hypertension.

COHEN: So students, the lesson for the day is: talk to your college nutritionists about your diet.

In the meantime, here are some simple changes you can make to eat healthier on any college campus.

KELLEY: Instead of having simply pepperoni pizza, two or three slices of that, maybe have one slice, along with a salad, snacks such as nuts and seeds, along with fresh fruit.

COHEN: I hope you took good notes, because this will all be on the final. For Feeling Fit, I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 13, 2002 - 10:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we hear it all the time: eat right and exercise to stay fit. It's easier said than done, especially for college students on the go.
Here is CNN's Elizabeth Cohen on staying fit while in college.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With all their classes, tuition bills and homework, many college students don't make eating right a priority.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I have a lot of tests, or I have to do a lot of studying, I have to get something fast.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For lunch, it's really whatever I can grab. I usually snack.

COHEN: Fast foods like French fries, chicken tenders and hamburgers are college dining halls' most popular items, according to recent surveys.

Carol Kelley, a nutritionist at Emory University, gave us a lesson in College Diets 101.

CAROL KELLEY, NUTRITIONIST, EMORY UNIV.: Students will choose foods that are quick and easy to eat on the run, and sometimes that comes at the expense of having more balance with their diet.

COHEN: Kelley says college dining services have catered to student demands for healthier choices, but honey buns and hamburgers are still the grab-and-go favorites.

KELLEY: The variety is definitely there. They have everything from stir-fries to fast foods to hot meals that include vegetables, abundant salad bars. However, students still typically will select what they know as familiar and tasty to them.

COHEN: Kelley says college students aren't invincible to the consequences of unhealthy diets. The Centers for Disease Control reported in their last survey of American college students that one in five students was overweight.

KELLEY: Students may be developing a template, a nutritional template, a pattern that they're going to take with them into adulthood nutrition, is involved with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly diabetes, possibly hypertension.

COHEN: So students, the lesson for the day is: talk to your college nutritionists about your diet.

In the meantime, here are some simple changes you can make to eat healthier on any college campus.

KELLEY: Instead of having simply pepperoni pizza, two or three slices of that, maybe have one slice, along with a salad, snacks such as nuts and seeds, along with fresh fruit.

COHEN: I hope you took good notes, because this will all be on the final. For Feeling Fit, I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com