In a generation of instant gratification, students are findingtheir diets to be increasingly filled with calories, carbohydratesand unhealthy fats.
Located outside each exit of campus is a host of many fast fooddrive-thrus and restaurants, and each indulgent temptation isincreased by the availability of these fast food restaurants.
Students are able to order a burger, fries, taco or pizza almostany time of the day, have it delivered, and charge it to an accountto pay later. This convenience can be a factor in the increasedweight gained by students, especially freshmen, living on andaround campus.
“The most obvious reason why students choose fast foodover preparing their own food is convenience,” said AutumnDouglas, a registered dietitian at the Student Health Center.”Students typically have busy schedules and tight budgets,which also contribute to frequenting the drive-thru.”
Douglas said because students may be up late studying, it istypically easier to order a pizza than to take the time to cook orprepare a meal. This easy-access diet normally comes back to hauntstudents in regards to their health and body image.
“Fast foods are often high in fat and sodium,”Douglas said. “Excessive intake can lead to high bloodpressure, elevated cholesterol, and an increased risk of heartdisease. As a result, some students may develop a poor body image,which sometimes can lead to eating disorders ordepression.”
Students said they can relate to the problems of gaining weightwhen they enter college. Whether it is 15 pounds or five, studentsfind the unhealthy foods on campus more prevalent than healthychoices.
“When I came to college, I gained weight, not a lot, but Inoticed it,” said Brandee Holloway, a business sophomore.”I gained weight because the food on campus was easy, notnecessarily healthier. The temptation and advertisements for fastfood are much more noticeable around campus.”
Bethany Madson, a nutrition sciences freshman, said she blamesthe poor ratio of unhealthy-to-healthy food on campus to excessiveweight gain of students. She said she tries to eat from the fewhealthy places in the Union and cafeteria, but because they do notstay open as late as other places, it is harder to eathealthily.
“It is common for students to gain weight when they firstcome to college,” Douglas said. “Because of class andwork schedules, students living in the residence halls may miss thewindow of time available to eat in the dining hall. This oftenleads to late-night ordering out or picking up fastfood.”
Douglas said there is a way to combat the barriers of time,transportation and money.
“The best way to combat these barriers to eating healthyis to plan,” Douglas said. “Although students typicallydo not have much time to spare during the week, taking one hour onthe weekend to make plans for grocery shopping and meal planningcan promote better choices during the week.”
Mary Waguespack, a dental hygiene freshman, said she uses thismethod to combat unhealthy eating.
“I usually plan ahead for the week and cook at myapartment,” Waguespack said. “My classes are at adecent time, so I am able to cook during normalmealtime.”
Douglas encourages students on a tight budget to purchaselow-fat deli meats and cheeses with wheat bread or wraps for aquick-fix meal. She said baked chips, fruit, snack bars or trailmix can help add to the meal and make the student moresatiated.
Some students find the idea of the “freshman 15” toa lack of psychological control over habitual actions such aseating.
“I think the freshman 15 is a side effect of the newfoundfreedom of freshmen year and not being able to balancethings,” said Tierney Brinkman, an English and Frenchsenior.