MARY L. OTI
The 5 a Day Association of Utah has named Sept 9?2D14 'National Five a Day Week' to encourage Utahns to eat at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
According to the 5 a Day press release, 'Studies have shown that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, will prevent the development of diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.'
Are BYU students following this advice?
'No,' said Jayson Wilkinson, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering from Bloomington, Ill. 'I don't even know if they're eating one serving a day.'
Wilkinson said he eats fruits and vegetables when he has them in his house, but admits that lately he hasn't had them around and is probably only eating two to three daily servings.
Nanci Schade, a junior majoring in health promotion, said she eats around seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Schade agrees with Wilkinson and said that most BYU students are 'on-the-go. They're in a hurry so they grab what's easiest and a lot of times it's not a fruit or vegetable.'
'I just don't have the money to buy that,' said Andrea Tate, a freshman from Salt Lake City majoring in elementary education, who eats only two servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
'I never really pay attention to how much fruits and vegetables I eat a day,' said Kirby Orme, a senior majoring in zoology from St. Charles, Mo. 'I like them better than junk food,' said Orme, who estimates he eats four to five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
But Wilkinson seemed to sum up the general opinion of BYU students when he said, 'Potato chips are vegetables, technically.'