Breakfast-- arguably the most important meal of the day. It’s touted by nutritionists to be absolutely essential, yet recent polls show that many Keviians skip this all-important meal. Why is that? Is it really a smart choice? What is the impact of prolonged breakfastlessness on your life? Read on to get the lowdown on breakfast and other interesting finds from our recent lifestyle survey.
Out of the 40 odd responses we received, exactly 50% answered ‘No’ to “Do you eat breakfast in hall on a regular basis?” A very small minority of respondents (6.7%) skip breakfast because the dining hall is too far away from their room while others (20%) simply stated that they are unimpressed with the culinary prowess of the cooks at the dining hall. By and large, the most common reason cited for skipping breakfast was being unable to crawl out of bed before the (seemingly) unearthly hour of 9am.
As mentioned earlier, skipping breakfast isn’t the brightest of moves as it deprives our bodies and brains of the fuel we need to get through the day. Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that skipping breakfast is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Obese children, adolescents and adults are less likely to break fast each morning than their thinner counterparts. This can be attributed to the fact that breakfast skippers tend to eat more than usual for their next meal and tend to nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. So skipping this important meal isn’t helping you keep off those pounds! What’s more, skipping breakfast is associated with mood swings, inability to concentrate and fatigue. Next time you wake up to your alarm at 9am, don’t hit the Snooze button just yet- think about how breakfast might just make your day fantastic!
Involvement in hall activities was another aspect covered in the poll and we found that 38% of respondents partake in 3 activities while 33% are involved in 5 or more activities. As heartening as this may sound, the majority of these people (71%) indicated that their topmost motivation for participation was to garner hall points. Involvement for personal leisure, self-improvement and hall spirit all ranked far behind. So are we all really just motivated by the points? Are our yearlong effort, dedication and passion for these activities mere manifestations of our desire to keep our rooms another year? This may seem a rational and fair viewpoint for the foreigners amongst us, but perhaps its time we reassess our priorities and realign our mindsets.
We asked respondents to tell us what they expected from hall life before they moved in and whether it met up to their expectations. A number of respondents indicated that they were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘pleasantly surprised’ when they moved into hall. Others weren’t so pleased and one of the respondents simply said “Upset. Too much nonsense.” Another response was “Disappointed with the lack of spirit and enthusiasm” and another said “Stressed out due to CCAs and studying”. One answer summed all the others up rather nicely, “I am quite satisfied. The activities that I’ve joined have been really rewarding and have made me a better person. Some activities were not very fun but something can be learnt from everything I guess”.
40% of respondents described the KE hall spirit as ‘fair’ while another 33% said that it is ‘so-so’ and only displayed by some Keviians. Those who feel that the hall spirit is lacklustre cited the following reasons: “Lack of good leadership and lack of time spent together due to a hectic academic year”, “Bad example from seniors”, “People’s mindsets” and “General apathy”. On the other hand, those who felt the Keviian spirit was alive and kicking attributed it to “A good showing at IHG last year and Rag & Flag this year”, “Sports, shared activities, friends”, “Friendly seniors” and “Interaction at meal times”. These sentiments are prevalent amongst us and adequately sum up the factors that contribute to and against our hall spirit.
Lastly, we asked Keviians what they thought of the Hall Rules that are stipulated on those laminated plastic sheets in our desk drawers. 83% of respondents said that the rule about sticking posters on the wall was obsolete and unnecessary. In addition 72% felt that the rule forbidding visitors in your room past 11pm was obsolete. Only 11% said that they entirely agree with the set of rules. One response succinctly summed up the others “Residents should be allowed more freedom - they are after all adults. This of course should come with their taking responsibility for anything they do”. These rules are not faithfully adhered to nor stringently enforced, so I feel that they don’t need to be changed.
The rules are more like a set of guidelines laid out by the hall management but whether or not we choose to stick to them can and should be left to our own discretion. We must keep in mind that as adults who are given this freedom, we are to be accountable for our actions.
From waking up late to staying up late, the recently conducted lifestyle survey touched on issues that are pertinent to us as Keviians. The more significant findings have been presented to you and we hope that they give you some perspective as to the mindsets of your peers and some food for thought – or at least for breakfast.
