Why College Students Need to Care About Their Food Choices

Don’t just care about your health because your mom told you so. 

According to research, unbalanced eating habits primarily develop during the "college-age" years. And these unhealthy food habits can negatively affect your future.

As a child, your parents probably forced you to eat your veggies first, then have dessert. However, college is another story. With the sudden freedom, many students forget, forgo, or simply can’t afford to eat healthy. 

While gaining fifteen pounds (the infamous “freshman 15”) really is just a myth, gaining weight the first year of college isn't. 70 percent of college students gain an average of 12 pounds before graduation--it's scientifically backed. 

But gaining weight really isn’t the real problem, rather a symptom of an issue that runs much deeper.

Unhealthy eating habits and lack knowledge of nutritional requirements can have long-lasting effects. Many college students simply don’t realize an unbalanced diet in college, not only forms life-long food habits, but can literally shave years off your life.

Convenience over quality 

Many 20-somethings and college students prioritize budget and convenience when it comes to making food choices. Research also shows that students tend to eat not only more in terms of quantity of food, but make unhealthy food choices due to lack of sleep, stress, and etc. 

When people lack sleep and are stressed, their hormones become imbalanced. Two primary hormones, leptin and serotonin decrease causing the individual to crave anything that will replace them. This is drives unhealthy cravings and is the reason you can't stop thinking about salt or sugar heavy food items when its exam week or you just pulled an all-nighter.

Specifically, increased fast food consumption can affect health because it is linked to a diet that is high in calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. As well, weight gain, heart disease, inflammation and even cancer are co-morbid. These nutritional components coupled with a sedentary lifestyle could lead to health problems.

Fast foods tend to be high in calories, fat, salt and sugar, which -- when consumed in excess -- can be associated with obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetesand heart disease, among other health risks.

But, you instinctively know that eating “fast-food” isn’t the healthiest for you.

The biggest issue in relation to college students is a lack of time, money and… your taste buds. Once your taste buds have been conditioned, it is very difficult to undo them.

Taste habits develop in childhood

Major fast-food chains know this. That is why many focus their marketing efforts on children. For example, let’s take McDonald’s. Who doesn’t remember the little trinkets an plastic figureens and stuffed animals you looked forward to in your Happy Meal?

According to research, back in the 1970s, McDonald's literally devised a marketing plan to create life-long customers. And the most impressionable customers were children. 

You don’t just like McDonald’s fries because you like potatoes and a lot of oil and salt, you like McDonalds because they sold you an emotional attachment forged in childhood. You would beg your mom to buy the happy meal to get that collectible action figurine! (Read this book if you are interested in knowing more about this.)

Your taste buds have been conditioned from childhood. What did you eat growing up? What did your diet consist of? What were and are your comfort foods? All of these factors influence what you want and crave now.

Change your habits now

The most formative and life-changing decisions are made predominantly in this stage of your life (ages 18-30). The habits you make in college heavily affect the way you view the world, and the food you eat. As you age, the habits you made in these years become increasingly difficult to undo.

Sometimes you don’t want to read your textbooks. Sometimes you don’t want to be kind. Sometimes you don’t want to go to class. But you do these activites because they are good for you, and because they will postively affect your life in the long-term.

For us, we realized we were just co-existing with our digestive problems and stomach pain. We realized we did not need to feel and live this way and there were tangible ways to feel better. We did not have to accept being bloated every day. We did not have to just accept stomach cramps that kept us up at night. By changing our lifestyles (all aspects-- sleep, physical activity, and food) we could improve how we felt.

It’s not the fear of getting a nasty disease later in life. It’s not the number on the scale that matters. 

It is what you do with the body and life you have been given, that does. 

Shouldn’t you treat your body with the same respect and care? You don’t need to start only eating salads, give up all sweets, or start working out everyday. You may not need to go completely 100 percent Low FODMAP.

But, start small. Begin by giving some thought to the eating habits you are forming now.

Maybe you have been overlooking eating issues or problems you have.

Your older self will thank you.