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Study shows poor eating trends in college |
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Thursday, 30 August 2007 |
 Sushi is one healthy dining option on campus.
| Holt Menzies | The Appalachian
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by LINDSAY TIGAR
Lifestyles Editor
Fifteen.
The
average number of hours a college freshman takes, as well as the number
of pounds they fear they will gain when they come to college.
According
to the Tufts Longitudinal Health Student Study of 1,800 students, most
students do not gain 15 pounds, but rather, men gain an estimated five
and a half and women four and a half.
However,
the same study concluded that 66 percent of freshmen do not consume the
recommended serving of fruits and vegetables and 50 percent don’t
consume enough fiber.
In fact, 59 percent of students agreed that their diet has gone downhill since they came to college.
Melanie Cashion
is the Nutrition Program Assistant for the Expanded Food and Nutrition
Education Program (EFNEP) for Watauga and Avery counties.
“The majority of statistics show that students in general have horrible eating habits,” she said.
Changes in diets may be credited to the convenience that college presents.
“In their mind, it’s convenient,” Cashion said. “America as a whole does not take the time to plan for meals.”
Cashion believes that students are advertising targets for foods and beverages that are nutritionally unhealthy for them.
“All major food companies say that soft drinks and pre-packaged foods
are ‘healthier,’ when in reality they are not,” Cashion said.
If someone refrained from drinking two cans or 24 ounces of a regular
soft drink every day for a year, they could lose or prevent gaining up
to 30 pounds, Cashion said.
Appalachian State University provides students with many resources to
help them make better choices in their daily eating habits.
Last year, 171 students sought help from the Student Wellness Center to
start making better nutritional decisions for their lifestyles.
An on-campus nutritionist is available as a free service to all Appalachian State students.
However, she is only available eight hours out of the week.
Consuming the right kinds of foods and beverages is essential for maintaining not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mind.
“If a student has poor nutrition, they may not be able to focus or
study as well,” Coordinator of the Student Wellness Center Katherine B.
Olson said.
Poor nutrition is not only eating more than the recommended servings of
different essentials, but also eating less than what is advised.
“Not eating enough may cause someone to suffer from low blood sugar,”
Olson said. “They may feel shaky, nervous, irritable and may have panic
attacks or not be able to concentrate.”
Apart from gaining unwanted pounds or dropping to a dangerously low
weight, long-term poor nutrition can also have everlasting effects on a
person’s body.
“Four out of 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. - coronary heart
disease, some types of strokes and cancers and type two diabetes - are
caused by an unhealthy diet,” Cashion said.
Although statistical data shows that most college students lead
unhealthy eating lifestyles, some students make the extra effort to eat
what’s best for them.
Senior recreation management major Will B. Swing believes he consumes foods and beverages that benefit his body.
“My average diet consists of tuna, water, salad, chicken and lots of
vegetables,” he said. “I feel more energized and I’ve always ate
pretty healthy and I try to keep my cholesterol down.”
When asked why he chose to eat healthy opposed to eating unhealthy he simply said, ‘I just know what’s better for me.”
Food services workers also see a rising trend in Appalachian State students who are attempting to eat healthier.
“I would say the majority of students choose healthy foods,” said Rita
F. Ward, an employee at Cascades Café for three years. “I used to see a
lot more doughnut purchases but now since we’ve added the smoothies, I
see students choosing them instead.”
Ward also believes that Appalachian State does an excellent job of
providing healthier options to students; it’s only a question on if
they decide to make those beneficial choices.
Online resources are provided by the wellness center for choosing the right meals at any food services establishment on campus.
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