“When it comes to eating, what’s more simple than a plate?” asked Michelle Obama. The first lady, who has launched several initiatives to endorse healthy lifestyle habits, has a point: When it comes to evaluating how well you’re eating, the best place to start is by looking down at what you’re eating off of.

Obesity in the United States has become such a problem that the month of March is designated National Nutrition Month to promote healthy eating and encourage the incorporation of physical activity into every day life.

With the obesity rate doubling in the past 15 years, the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation list the state of Alabama as the No. 2 state with the most obese population in the nation. The South’s reputation for a fond appreciation of all things deep-fried and battered precedes itself. Mississippi took first place in the ranking, Virginia came in fourth and Kentucky tied with Louisiana for fifth most obese state.

A 2006 study at Cornell Food and Brand Lab suggested that people eat more food off larger plates than they do on smaller plates, yet feel just as full — seems people eat more with their eyes than with their stomach. To nix the bad habit, eat off of a nine-inch plate as opposed to the usual 12-inch plate most tend to opt for when dining. Also, fill half the plate with fruits and veggies; a quarter of the plate with a protein such as grilled chicken or beans; and the remaining quarter with a starch or grain like brown rice.

College students are also among the most prevalent for high body mass indexes, the tool used to measure weight and height in relation to body fat. Nearly a third of all college students have BMIs of greater than or equal to 25, equivalent to being overweight for adults.

To help counteract students’ misconceptions on eating, the University of Alabama’s Health Promotion and Wellness Department is dedicating this week to educating students on nutrition and physical fitness. To broaden their outreach, they have created a Twitter account, called “OneADay4UA,” that will address cooking, making wise decisions at the vending machine, how to best order at a restaurant, breakfast, physical activity and beverage selection.

“It challenges people in the UA community to perform one nutrition or exercise-related challenge a day toward a healthier lifestyle,” said Sheena Quizon, assistant director and dietician of the Health Promotion and Wellness Department. “We want people to know that working toward a healthier lifestyle can involve just doing one simple change.”