All Jumbos remember their parents' constant refrains: eat your vegetables, brush your teeth, wash your hands and take your Flintstone vitamins.
Most of us do brush our teeth and wash our hands nowadays - especially with the stomach flu around - but does anyone actually take their vitamins anymore?
Sophomore Ryan Reynolds said he only takes them for athletic purposes.
"I have only taken any dietary supplements once, protein supplements, when I messed up my ankle. I wasn't exercising and needed the extra protein," Reynolds said.
Senior Zander Kirkland also took protein supplements for a similar reason.
"I was sailing a lot and took soy protein to gain weight for a couple of months. It didn't really work and I stopped because I realized I could get enough in a balanced diet," he said.
Kirkland explained that instead of taking supplements, he tries to eat a balanced diet and stay fit.
"I don't think it's necessary to put chemicals into my body, especially since you never know what side effects they could have. Being healthy is just eating right and being athletic," he said.
One student took protein supplements to make up for the lack of meat in her diet. "I took soy protein for a while because I am a vegetarian," freshman Denise Feirstein said.
Protein isn't the only supplement though - Feirstein tries to get her calcium and fatty acids as well.
"I also used to take Tums for calcium, and omega-3. Now I mostly just drink tea with antioxidants," she said.
Feirstein, like Kirkland, thought that most people get the proper nutrition through balanced diets.
"If people are dieting then it's a good idea [to take supplements], but if you eat a well-balanced diet then it shouldn't be a big deal," she said.
But senior Jimmy Praley said he thinks Jumbos could use some more nutrition in their lives.
"I definitely do not think students consume a balanced diet," he said. "Today I had Diet Pepsi and a pack of Doritos."
Praley said he still enjoys the vitamins many Jumbos took when they were younger.
Junior Brad Fowler said he had never taken any actual vitamin supplements, but often takes Emergen-C, which purportedly prevents colds.
"I take Emergen-C. It's this awesome vitamin C supplement whose effects kick in right away and last around eight hours. It's got a whole mess of good stuff in it," Fowler said.
While eating a balanced diet and exercising are goals every Jumbo strives for at least some of the time, it's the college student life that may create a requirement for supplements.
Anyone indulging in the stereotypical college lifestyle, where students just "eat pizza and drink beer," probably does need to take extra vitamins, Reynolds said.
