Picking Between Anorexic and Obese Students at Harvard: School Removes Calorie Counters From Dining Halls

Harvard University appears to have made a curious choice in its dining halls. Harvard University Dining Services has been supplying index cards with nutritional information for people concerned about fat and calorie content — part of a national trend to give more information to consumers. It has now, however, pulled the cards after students and parents complained that it would worsen eating disorders like anorexia nervosa.

A spokesperson stated: “The feeling was that for people who have eating disorders or who struggle with issues around the literal value of food, the emphasis on nutrition information does not always lead people to eat in a healthy manner.” Yet, isn’t the point to give people information to make their own decisions? It seems incredibly paternalistic for Harvard to decide that people would not use information correctly on what they eat.

Now, students and faculty will have to go to a kiosk or the internet for the information, which seems unlikely.

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