Whoops! BYU mistakenly ranked healthiest; real No. 1 little surprise

I suspect they neglected to include BYU-Idaho because of its name, thinking that perhaps it is just an extension of the BYU campus, rather than an independent univserity.

Most universities have Extension campuses outside their central campus. (I know both Weber and Utah State have a number of satellite campuses strewn across the state...)

--Ray

@VAggie,
Using soda irresponsibly IS risky behavior, but NOT like using alcohol irresponsibly. I don't need to cite any examples.

@ patriot,

You are comparing irresponsible alcohol use to average use of soda. Alcohol is bad when people use it irresponsibly, like getting behind a wheel or using so much that they have liver damage. An average portion of soda has about the equivalent of 12 packets of sugar. Risks of soda include obesity, hypertension (which can cause heart attacks), loss of energy... Using soda irresponsibly is risky behavior, just like using alcohol irresponsibly.

@Ranch, Y Grad/Y Dad was not saying that Diet Coke is healthier than beer, he was offering a case in point to support his comment that vendors sell what people buy.

Oh, drinking was a category as was drug use. I was wondering why the Univ. of Vermont and UC-Boulder weren't on here since those are typically considered the most fit universities.

re:Y Grad / Y Dad

Diet coke as bad as beer? Balderdash. Diet Coke has no alcohol....no liver damage and no drunkenness. I will say eating cake and icecream is 100 times worse than drinking Diet Coke. I laugh at those who want to tie Coke into the Word of Wisdom yet think nothing of producing plate fulls of brownies for the Relief Society luncheon. One big brownie will tip the scales at over 1000 calories plus all the other bad stuff in it. Wash that brownie down with a big glass of whole milk and you are on track for some major trouble ...around the waste line and inside your veins. I know this...as a runner I can drink a diet coke from time to time no problem but I eat a couple of brownies and my times slow to a crawl.

@deductive reasoning;

How many people drinking their open containers of softdrinks while driving are not paying attention to the road as they fiddle with their fattening fare?

Ranch

How many people die from accidents caused by people driving under the influence of diet soft drinks?

What I've never understood about college drinking by freshman and underclassmen in general is that alcohol is illegal below age 21. I've not naive regarding the fact that middle school and high school students obtain/use alcohol. But it the widespread, basically open use, that defies logic especially when (as this article reminds) college administrators wring their hands about binge drinking and alcohol problems with students. Aside from legal ramifications, I'm baffled as to why, if they care so much, they don't maintain policies of of expulsion for alcohol use.

Or rather... yeah... they really don't care.

@cstott;

How many more die each year of obesity related illnesses?

@Y Grad / Y Dad;

Hate to inform you, but a diet coke is no more healthy than a beer. Studies have shown that diet softdrinks increase one's appetite.

must be all that food from the BYU Creamery.

Granny
Saint George, UT

@Utexmom.

I have to agree. I am on a specialized diet that no-one will cater to, but by planning ahead and making careful choices, I have not been derailed when traveling.

The more interesting commentary is that, if helthier choices would be supported by the purchasing public, they would be made available. Case in point:

I attended the University of Houston football game, and before the game, several of us noticed vendors making their way up and down the stands with trays of beer. By early in the first quarter, on the BYU side of the field, the beer was replaced with diet Coke...

@Utexmom. What is wrong with eating a salad everyday for one week? If one is concerned about weight gain, a salad is a perfect option. You can get dressing on the side. Get a sandwich in a wrap or discard all or most of the bread on a regular Subway sandwich. Get a rice bowl with just veggies.

Plan ahead. Perhaps you could bring your own lunch. Local stores sell fruit and vegetables in their produce departments. Buy some deli meat (protein) or fried chicken and eat cold the next day. Stay in a hotel that has a fridge and you can keep enough on hand to last the whole week.

Comments here would suggest allot of people smoke and drink but refrain from chocolate milk and yogurt for health purposes- I'll have to pay more attention, that's a health fad I've never observed and wasn't aware of.

What about prescription drugs?

Utah is eighth in the nation when it comes to overdose deaths due to prescription pain killers, killing 16.9 per 100,000 in 2010 alone.
(Standard Examiner)

(West Virginia was ranked number one in the nation for prescription drug abuse and overdoses)

Also, the hard drugs mentioned earlier really are not as prevalent as some seem to think on most college campuses. It's almost a non-issue. Being drug free isn't a BYU or BYUI only value. Most people in college will not touch hard drugs like cocaine, meth,mdma,LSD, heroine, etc. Such a small % of addicts make it to college, and even a lesser % graduate. Very small % of populations admit to using hard drugs.

I'm saying it shouldn't be such a heavy weight towards alcohol. And being "stone cold sober" doesn't make you any healthier. If I want to have a beer at lunch that is no more unhealthy than a chick fil a meal that you can now get on campus at BYU (the beer has much less empty calories).

Where in the criteria did it take into consideration "do you even lift bro"... Exercise is much more indicative of overall health than if someone drinks or not.

The article and criteria is about health. Exercise habits seem a lot more relevant to me than if someone chooses to party on the weekends.

I live in Utah County and run 6 days a week usually at least 12 miles. There is not a day when I do not see at least one person going 8:00 per mile or faster (not counting my kids). When I travel to various places in the US that are much more densely populated than the Utah County I struggle to find a runner in that bracket.

VAggie: Did you even read the criteria that was used? It isn't just alcohol but it includes tobacco and drugs. I can tell you that all the military schools do not pass on either of those subjects nor Arizona State. So your point is mute. There are just as good if not better athletes at BYU but they are there more for the education. Most of the cadets at the military school have to be recommended. You just can't go there so before you start praising these schools you really need to look that it is nothing but getting drunk on most weekends. Binge drinking appears more often at US Universities and is a major cause of death. So yea, I'll take BYU over either every single time.

Using that criteria to say BYU is the "healthiest" is a little questionable. Responsible drinking isn't inherently unhealthy.Are we claiming that West Point, USNA, USAFA are unhealthy because some of the people that attend those schools may drink? I bet the average plebe in Annapolis is in much better shape than the average BYU student, because they have to be in shape if they hope to graduate. Other schools like Arizona State are also very physically fit despite being on the opposite end of being "stone-cold sober" because the culture of ASU really values physical fitness. By focusing on alcohol consumption the study ignores other important aspects of health. Mainly exercise.

It would be nice if BYU could get some more healthy options, especially for their education week customers. They have very little that helps people on special diets, such as diabetics. It would really help if they would make some sugar free or low carb items. Going to education week shouldn't mean gaining weight. Even though they do have a salad people can buy, you don't want to eat the same thing for 4 or 5 days.

How about Baylor, SMU, TCU, Oral Roberts, Bob Jones U?. Last I heard Waco was dry. Where were those schools?

1800 die each year of over drinking.And yet many will avoid schools like BYU simply because of those rules.. Interesting isn't it.. Choices?

I'm not sure too many people really care about this? I know plenty of BYU grads that are not exactly skinny. Let's not blow our horn about our supposed goodness all the time. There are a lot of good schools and good kids in this country that don't only attend BYU.

UgottaloveMaxie,

Strange that in my time as a student at BYU I did not see very many obese people as compared to the general population. I didn't even see many who were obviously overweight. Of course there were some, but not many. Even in my single student wards while at BYU, the heavier people tended to be UVU students or students of other colleges or not students at all. But I agree with Tyler McArthur, this and your post is just anecdotal evidence. Looks like there is some from both sides of the argument.

@Ugottalovemaxie

Anecdotal evidence.

Utgottalove Maxie

Nevertheless, chocolate milk and yogurt are hardly as unhealthy as cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Some of the skinniest people I've ever seen are people who use meth, cocaine, speed, ect. And many people admit that if they didn't smoke, they'd put on 30 pounds.

I object. chocolate milk and frozen yogurt are not very healthy. Some of the biggest people I have ever seen in my life were students at Brigham Young.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this article is trying to tell me that BYU-Provo scored a perfect ten on best non-drinking and drug free campus whereas BYU-Idaho scored something less than a perfect 10. That means that there are drinkers and drug users at BYU-I but not on the main campus. Am I the only one who sees a credibility problem here?