Popular dietary plans, such as the low carbohydrate diet, sweep the nation like prevailing winds yet don't retain shelf life. In contrast, The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture together published, "Dietary Guidelines for Americans." The federal government made copies of the 70-page brochure available to the public on Feb. 4.

The guide provides advice about dietary habits to foster health and reduce risk of chronic disease. It
recommends consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages among basic food groups while limiting the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sugar, salt, and alcohol.

Proponents have praised the guidelines as the strongest recommendations to date. But critics charge
that vital information was omitted and focused too much attention on weight loss in order to put the
burden of changing dietary habits on the individual.

Emphasizing weight loss avoids telling Americans the truth about the foods to be avoided, insists Michele Simon. Simon is a former trial lawyer who is an adjunct professor of public health policy at UC
Hastings College of the Law. She said that Americans have become adjusted to eating highly processed food, such as potato chips, pastries, and soda whereas they should instead consume far more whole grains.

“The definition of food has been transformed by industry, yet the dietary guidelines don’t reflect that,” said Simon.

Brand names and fast food menu items dominate our food choices, she maintained.

“Imagine guidelines that said: ‘Stop eating Big Macs and Oreos’,” said Simon. “Those are recommendations Americans could understand but not ones we are likely to hear.”

Simon insisted it would threaten a $500 billion processed food industry that holds considerable
influence over Congress.

But not everyone sees the recommendations with a jaundiced eye.

The guidelines cover all persons over two years old, explained Teresa Leu. Leu is a nutritionist who has worked at SF State Student Health Center for over twenty years. It must be broad so nutritionists can tailor it to those they advise she said.

Often maligned, dairy products are actually a nutrient packed food said Leu. She recommends three servings a day of a non- or low-fat dairy product. And she added that any dairy product made from skim milk has low saturated fat and cholesterol.

Leu went on to stress the importance of eating a breakfast. A person who has been sleeping for eight
hours has used substantial amounts of blood sugar and breakfast can restore a proper level she explained.

“It is not uncommon for college students to skip breakfast, eat an energy bar for lunch and then wait
until 8 p.m. to eat a ravenous meal, eating 2-3 meals worth of calories,” Leu said. “The purpose is to eat until you are not hungry, rather than to be too full.”

She recommends eating every four hours. That way you won’t risk overeating. She favors the use of lean proteins such as turkey, chicken, lentils, beans, yogurt and cottage cheese. Also whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good with every meal, she stressed.

Leu is a certified dietician and is available for one-on-one counseling. She holds office hours from 8
a.m. until 3 p.m. every Monday through Friday and her consultation is free. Those interested must make an appointment and will need to keep a food diary so she can tailor the sessions to individual needs.

Alarming as student indifference toward a balanced diet can be, some SF State students who are parents fear more for their children. Patrick Mattimore is a former South San Francisco High School history instructor who also taught health and physical education. He is now enrolled in SF State’s Elder
College program.

He is also the father of high school and college-aged students. He became concerned about childhood obesity late last year when the California Department of Education disclosed that three-quarters of middle school students flunked the state’s physical fitness test.

He insisted snack food companies have a responsibility to the public, since they are dispensed at public schools throughout the country.

“McDonald’s makes salads,” he said. “They don’t have to promote Big Mac’s. You offer healthy foods in the vending machines. You put in fruit juices instead of soda pop. There are some logical kinds of changes they can make that make for a healthier diet at school.”

Growing up, Mattimore maintained he always played sports in the afternoons. With both parents often
working in many households, children frequently spend recreation time in front of the TV or computer screen, he said. He advocates that parents demand more physical education programs for schools.

“Proposition 13 (1978 property tax roll back) is where these money cuts began to develop," he
said. "I think we make a stand and put our resources in to that (physical education.) Our state now spends $1000 less than we did in the 1970’s on per pupil funding. The Governor has reneged on his promise that he was going to increase funding by a certain percentage to the schools … you tax people for what they think is important.”

Recognizing the prevalence of junk food in American culture, Mattimore advocates making nutritional
education a part of the curriculum.

“Kids need to be taught about what healthy eating is at an early age," he said. "If their parents are going to insist on buying fast food, maybe it’s up to the kids to educate their parents. When they go to the market, they say look, ‘this is what we learned in school, this is what you should be doing.’”

For students watching their diet, they have a friend in Abdu Hassani. He is the manager of the Gold Coast Grill in the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Hassani has changed purveyors that supply his meat products to Niman Ranch. With offices in Oakland and ranches across the country, they rely upon only free-range livestock. Hassani has noticed that since he has started using Niman, there is a lot less grease from cooking and said people love it.

Though he would like to include menu items from his native Morocco, it would take too long to prepare." Students only have a half-hour break," he said. "They want cheap food and lots of it. Our job is to satisfy our customers."