The stereotypical American diet is undeniably unhealthy and the cause of many health problems. As college students, we need to make the right eating choices today so that we won’t face health problems in the future.
Most people in the United States have an increased risk of chronic illness due to consuming too much sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, according to the CDC.
Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are some of the terrible consequences stemming from a bad diet. For example, a study by The American Diabetes Association indicates that there will likely be a 673% increase in type-2 diabetes cases in people 20-year-old and younger by 2060, if the trends observed from 2002 to 2017 continue.
These numbers should be a wake-up call to change our eating habits, but it can be especially hard for college students.
A typical breakfast can include more sugar than is recommended for a whole day. Cereal, doughnuts and even blueberry muffins are high in added sugar, as well as drinks from Starbucks. Beachbody On Demand interactive recommends no more than 25-36 grams of added sugar be consumed daily, that number seems small compared to the 73.8 grams of sugar in a venti white chocolate mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks.
Protein, found in eggs, meat and cheese provide the nutrients needed to start the day, while fresh fruit and homemade juice are sweet and not as sugary. Of course, it takes longer to prepare breakfast at home than to stop by your favorite coffee shop, but the health outcomes can be drastically different.
Typical lunches and dinners are full of low-quality carbohydrates and high in saturated fats. Fried foods, processed meats, and canned foods can also pose risks to health. Caffeinated drinks, chips, and other snacks typically consumed throughout the day can be high in sodium, fats and harmful byproducts.
While it’s important to develop healthy eating habits, obsessing over calorie intake can lead to stress and eating disorders. On top of that, making healthy choices is typically more expensive and can strain the budget. Unfortunately, most health insurances don’t cover nutritionist access, and sometimes the root of the problem is not resolved with medication.
As an international student from Peru, I’m used to a very different diet. Legumes, vegetable rice and meat stews are typical dishes, while snacks such as plantain chips and toasted corn are some of my favorites. In America, it can be more expensive and harder to find healthy eating options. Yet putting in the time and money is worth it.
Disregard of one’s diet can lead to health problems, and an increase in medication consumption as well. On a related note, the U.S. makes up 40.8% of the global market for the pharmaceutical industry in 2020, according to an article published by Zippia. And a CivicScience article says 70% of Americans take at least one prescription medication a day.
College students are responsible for food choices on our own; it can be hard to navigate through these choices. We usually know what’s best for us in the long term, it can seem hard or impossible to make those decisions based on the short term.
Becoming aware of what we’re consuming is the first step to achieving change. Prioritizing our health and food choices financially and in other aspects can be the next step. Demanding change in food production regulation or sugar taxes can be seen as possible solutions as well.
We can reject the typical American diet and start making smarter food choices to benefit our health. Our generation can avoid facing so many health problems in the future if we make the right choices today.
It won’t be easy, and that change won’t come overnight, we can regain control of what we eat and what we’ll become.
Isabella Albertini is a 23-year-old mass communication sophomore from Lima, Peru.
