Lowering the Cost of Improving Student Health - Essay Example

 Lowering the Cost of Improving Student Health In the words of one of the greatest philosophers of our time, Voltaire, Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. In my honest opinion, what could me more tiresome, at least in the long run, is eating stale food. My enthusiasm and interest in cooking has made me realize how easy it is to get a food borne illness from food that has been improperly stored or prepared. I have witnessed students ignore simple guidelines of food safety. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 76 million Americans will contract a food borne illness this year ("Foodborne Illness", 2005). Ilnesses may range from a mild stomach upset to a more severe pathogen that could result in death. We have all experienced even the mild illness can result in time spent at the doctor’s or at least it takes us away from our daily routine. In the more serious forms it can require several days of bed rest or a lengthy stay in the hospital. These disruptions can cause hardship for anyone, but food improperly stored or cooked can be a pain rather than pleasure for a college student. Students have a demanding schedule and they can hardly afford to miss classes. In my opinion, this is precisely what makes the difference between the Dean's list and failure. Good health is the key to success for anyone and more so for a college student body. Yet, it is this group that places itself at the greatest risk of food poisoning by their lifestyle. Even less sleep and mental fatigue eventually lead to stress but a food borne illness has immediate and far-reaching consequences. Again, it is the student's unique lifestyle that threatens their well being due to food borne illness. College life brings with it eating habits that are considerably different than what the students have been used to. This is what experts have to say. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond says, "Students face many rigors while studying for a college education and they often eat whenever and wherever it is convenient" (qtd. in "Food Safety 101", 2005). Dr. Raymond further states that "college kids simply don't know what it takes to make the grade in food safety and far too many could end up with a food borne illness" (qtd. in "Food Safety 101", 2005). As many as 20,000 Penn State students could become ill this year by eating foods that have been improperly stored or inadequately cooked. The end result is obvious - time spent in an already overburdened health system, and more importantly students suffer academically as they have to spend time away from their classrooms and course work. For those of us who have experienced it, we know of the hectic schedule combined with a variety of food sources that students are exposed to, when they shift from home. They are subjected to the world of parties, pitch-in dinners, microwaves, and carry out food. In order to orient the students’ mind towards food safety rules, I would like to distribute an easy-to-read pamphlet along with a small presentation. We could discuss simple rules on leftover pizza, grilled hamburger, or food that's been in the refrigerator for a period of time. These would help to minimize students’ risk of food borne illness at Penn State. First and foremost, avoiding contact with food that has been improperly stored and cooked itself would greatly reduce the number of cases. We are in an educational environment and an educational approach to the problem would sink in faster. A simple pamphlet with ten basic steps to food safety would be a valuable addition to the orientation process. We could design it along the lines of 'Food Safety for Dummies' and include the situations where students are most likely to encounter tainted food. In addition, the pamphlet could educate students on the effects of illness, its symptoms, and the steps that should be taken to treat it. Helpline numbers of the CDC and USDA that answer questions about this issue ("Food Safety Education", 2006) would be an added advantage offered. They can answer questions about how to cook and store food properly, or advise if a food may be safe to eat. They can also help a student diagnose their illness and determine if medical treatment is necessary. In my honest opinion simple measures like following the simple rules of food safety and having professional assistance available 24 hours a day, could go a long way towards reducing the 20,000 anticipated cases of food borne illness at Penn State this year. We must also remember that while being treated for food poisoning, students are unable to attend classes. Attendance is a prerequisite to college success. I could cite numerous studies that show a direct correlation between attendance and grades (Urban-Loraine and Weinshank, 2000). You may be wondering how is that possible? Well, the less time a student spends infirmed with a food borne illness, the better grades he receives!! Poor grades could in turn mean losing out on the much needed financial aid. They may even be thrown out of school and consequently experience difficulty paying off previously incurred student loans. This can negatively impact the financial aid office's ability to acquire the funding needed for many students. Better grades on the other hand benefits the university directly by raising its academic standing. Thus, we can see how food safety translates into better attendance, better grades, and a better chance of success for the student and the school. There is more to promoting food safety than the agony of food borne illness. Students become capable of dealing with the daily rigors of campus life. A healthy body translates into a healthier mind and the student is better able to accept, learn and participate in education. Besides, there are also the material rewards that go along with such a program. Fewer sick days reduces the burden on an already overtaxed health system. The medical community could better utilize their time and resources towards preventing and healing illnesses that are not so easily preventable. Instead of treating a victim of stale food, the emergency room attendants could look after a patient with cardiac ailment. Hence, a few precautions could relieve the health professionals in the medical community immensely. I, therefore, strongly recommend implementing the program, which should be centered around the publication of a simple pamphlet that highlights the simple rules to insure food safety. These will be explained in plain and simple language that anyone can follow. Though there are currently several pamphlets available through Penn State's Department of Food Safety at the College of Agriculture, they are aimed at a professional audience or commercial users. They do not address the needs of the average student who may not have a science or health background. The written material could be published through our Department of Food Safety. A still better suggestion is to make the students compose it and then take the approval of the faculty. This program could also result in savings in terms of money because it would reduce the medical cost of 20,000 emergency room visits for food poisoning and numerous hospital stays. Penn State currently has the resources available to pursue this modest project. In addition to the written material, Penn State could create a web site with a short introductory course on food safety. This would cover the same information as the pamphlet and could include a mandatory quiz for attendance at Penn State. Iowa Sate presently has a similar program on food safety and it could be patterned after their successful program (Safe Food, 2006). The concept of educating the student body has worked on several other issues ranging from safe sex to dorm safety. College students are at risk from food borne illness and educating them is the most reasonable approach. The lifestyle of the college students is a constant threat to their well being. They eat when it is convenient and often consume whatever is available. Educating these students can be a positive step in reducing the number of food poisoning cases at Penn State. A simple pamphlet and an interactive web site, published by our own Food Safety Department, could relate the common sense approach to food preparation and storage that can help insure that the students are safe when eating in the dorm, at a party, or a cook out.. The benefits of these actions override any minimal cost which may have to be incurred for this program. Savings would be immense in terms of time, money and discomfort while improving the student performance through better attendance. The purpose of being at Penn State can be achieved through performance and all it requires is a few simple safe food measures!!! Works Cited "Food Safety Education." Ask Karen. 2006. Food Safety and Inspection Service. 25 Nov. 2006 . "Foodborne Illness." Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 25 Oct. 2005. Department of Health and Human Services. 18 Nov. 2006 . "Food Safety 101: USDA Offers Food Safety Tips For College Students." Food Safety and Inspection Service. 24 Apr. 2005. US Department of Agriculture. 18 Nov. 2006 . Safe Food. 2006. Iowa State University. 25 Nov. 2006 . Urban-Loraine, Mark, and Donald J. Weinshank. "Attendance and Outcomes in a Large, Collaborative Learning, Performance Assessment Course." Presented at at the Annual Meeting of AREA. Apr. 2000. Michigan State University . 25 Nov. 2006 . 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