CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, November 28,1995
3A
Skipping lunch encourages bad eating habits
By Craig Lang
Kansan staff writer
If David Gunasegaram does get a chance to eat lunch, it usually is a candy bar between classes.
Gunasegaram, Topeka junior, said he usually ate a big breakfast in the morning because his busy class schedule gave him only enough time to grab something from the vending machines.
"I usually don't get a chance to eat until I get back at 3:30," he said.
For many KU students, eating a decent lunch is a rare occasion.
While many students' schedules keep them too busy to eat lunch, some claim that eating in the middle of the day can affect their afternoon performance.
James Thompson.
"I'm usually in a better mood after I eat. I'm a lot more happy."
Olane senior, said that on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when he had classes all day, he did not eat anything for lunch because sitting in class with a full stomach made him drowsy.
"I'll fall asleep in class if I eat," he said.
Jessica Teague, Lawrence freshman, said she usually made time for lunch every day because she did not eat breakfast.
Ann Chapman, registered dietitian at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said skipping lunch could lead students to overeat later in the day.
"If you go all day without food, you could go ravenous at dinner," she said.
Jay Glatz, manager of food services for the Kansas and Burge unions, said Union Square, a cafeteria in the Kansas Union, did the most of its business at lunch.
"Our business at lunch is triple what we do at breakfast," he said.
She said that during her afternoon classes she noticed that her attitude was different from her attitude in morning classes.
"I'm usually in a better mood after I eat," she said. "I'm a lot more happy."
Jessica Teague
Lawrence freshman
Glatz said about half of the students who purchased lunch at the Union ate it on the go.
Chapman said the problem with students eating lunch on the go was that they were more likely to grab fast food, such as hamburgers
and fries.
She said students were eating too many high-calorie foods and not enough fruits and vegetables.
Chapman said an example of a good meal would be a submarine sandwich with a generous amount of lettuce and tomatoes, a glass of milk and a piece of fruit.
"That way, you don't go quite as heavy with the meat and the cheese," she said.
"I've gotten so used to not eating lunch," he said. "It doesn't faze me."
Gunasegaram said he did not mind missing lunch. He said he had grown accustomed to a busy class schedule and no longer experienced afternoon hunger.
Pam Dishman / KANSAN
Brent Lank, Wichita junior, eats his lunch in Wescoe Terrace. Unlike Lank, some students don't make time to eat lunch every day.
Changes in winter weather turn skin into leather
Kansan staff writer
By Joann Birk Kensen staff writer
Dry, itchy skin is as common in the winter as the whistling cry of the old north wind. But people can take simple steps to alleviate their suffering.
Lee Bittenbender, dermatologist at the Dermatology Center of Lawrence, 930 Iowa St., said that nearly everyone suffered from some degree of dry skin in the winter months.
that tends to dry the skin," he said.
The higher the heat in the house and the shower, the more likely people are to have dry skin. Bittenbender said people should take lukewarm showers and use very little soap.
"The tendency in winter is to really crank the temperature, but
Bittenbender also recommended applying bath oil after showers. He said there was no particular lotion or soap that was better for the skin but that lotion should be applied liberally and soap should be used only where it's needed.
Not all dry skin problems can be solved by cooler showers and less soap. When dry skin becomes red, scaly and itchy, people should consult a doctor, Bittenbender said.
Charles Yockey, physician at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said the humidity in Lawrence homes dropped about 40 percent in the winter, causing many students to
Sufferers of extreme dry skin, which often is diagnosed as eczema, may need a hydrocortisone prescription.
develop dry, itchy skin.
Although simple solutions exist, that lack of moisture cannot be solved by a humidifier, he said.
"There is no way you can put that much humidity back in the house," he said. "It is kind of like spitting in the ocean."
Yockey said students should look for lotion with combinations of aloe and lanolin and apply it often. He said that the brand of soap did not matter but that students should be careful to wash it off.
But Yockey said that if lotion and other home remedies did not help, Watkins could treat 90 percent of dermatology concerns.
"If the skin cracks, if it is really itchy and if it is really distracting you, you should see a doctor," he said.
Applying lip balms and moisturizers is a simple remedy for winter's dry skin. Other suggestions include taking lukewarm showers and applying bath oils.
Richard Devinki/KANSAN
Trying to cram for exams? Forget it
By Craig Lang Kansan staff writer
Ryan Welshon already has developed a bad habit.
In his first year of college, Welshborn, Hoxie freshman, has neglected to read his notes regularly and keep up with the readings in his classes until the night before tests.
"I just get Jon's Notes and cram like hell," he said. "I've only been here one semester, and I've done it quite a bit."
Whether they are too busy or too lazy to keep up with studies, many college students have adopted the tendency to study the night before they have to take a test. Although students know this practice can have disastrous effects on their academic careers, it still is hard for them to get out of the habit.
Robert Hohn, professor of educational psychology and research, said cramming was not a good idea for any student. He said that cramming might be somewhat effective for students studying for multiple choice tests because they might have an advantage recalling specific facts.
However, he said, cramming is not effective in studying for essay tests because students do not have the time to understand entire thoughts and ideas.
Hohn said the reason many students crammed was because they were avoiding the inevitable.
"You know you have to do it, but you don't want to," he said. "We all do it. We all put things off."
Marc Lyerly, Overland Park junior, said cramming was a typical event in his life. He said that when he had a test to study for, he usually didn't start studying until 11 p.m. the night before and stayed up until 4 a.m.
"With other classes and work and whatnot, it's just easier to wait until the last minute," he said.
Adrienne LeFevre, Aurora, Ill., sophomore, said cramming was not a regular habit for her but that she did do it at times when she had gotten behind in her studies and test time came around before she knew it.
LeFevre said a difference in how well students performed on a test was noticeable when they didn't cram.
"You always do better when you don't cram," she said. "You have higher confidence when you don't cram."
Hohn said it was much more effective to study in advance. He said that if students just spent a short period of time a couple times a week to review notes and study readings, they would retain the information much easier than if they crammed.
He said that one thing students should try was to recall all the information they learned that day immediately after each class.
"As soon as you come out of lecture, see if you can repeat everything you heard," he said.