In a world where obesity is a growing national problem, Penn State is raising nutritional awareness for students and families beyond the traditional freshman 15.

Pennsylvania was recently dubbed the 19th fattest state in a study by CalorieLab.com, which reported that in the past three years, Pennsylvania has had a population obesity average of 24.5 percent.

According to the study, Colorado was given the distinction of the leanest state, while Mississippi was labeled the fattest. Pennsylvania dropped from the 15th fattest state in 2005 to 19th fattest in 2006.

Julie Haines, assistant coordinator for Penn State Nutrition Links, said Penn State works to educate families around Pennsylvania to improve health awareness.

Haines said the program sends trained representatives across the state to teach free nutrition classes for low income and food stamp-eligible families.

"Modeling is important," she said. "We practice our motto: know it, teach it, show it."

While it is hard to pinpoint the exact causes for the change in the ranking, Pennsylvania's distinction as 19th fattest did not shock some students.

Lindsey Barouh (senior-biology) said Pennsylvania wasn't the only state dealing with an obesity problem.

"Regular communities are overweight," she said. "People are getting lazy, and it's easier to stay home and eat. It's part of the American lifestyle."

Caitlin Sieg (freshman-business said she thinks Penn State does a good job providing exercise facilities and food choices in the dining halls.

"It all comes down to individual choices [of what to eat]. The university can only do so much before becoming like the Naval Academy," she said.

William Leonard (junior-history), an employee in the dining halls, agreed that Penn State was doing a decent job of promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Leonard added that sometimes it's harder to eat healthier in the dining halls since meals contain overlapping food choices.

"It's always the same cosmos, same food," he said. "Also, the all-you-can-eat option makes a big difference. Moderation is the key."

Leonard said he was glad the buses do not run everywhere on campus.

"It's a big campus," he said. "You have to hike everywhere."

Barouh agreed that University Park's size helps students stay fit.

"Constantly walking to class is good to keep your heart rate up," she said.

Despite being left off the list of 25 fittest college campuses that Men's Fitness magazine published in October, some Penn State students say they take their health seriously.

"This is the time when students create a body image for the next 10 years," Sieg said. "A lot of students take their health seriously and will try to eat right and exercise."