Stress Among Students Essay

Being overweight, eating poorly, and not exercising are becoming an epidemic in America, especially among college students. Most of the research on it states the same things, however the first research article I found speaks more to the behavior and its current affects on college students’ health. A slew of doctors and Jesse S. Morrell wrote an article about “Risk Factors Among College Men and Women” in relationship to obesity. The opening of this article stated that “an estimated 300,000 deaths each year are attributable to obesity… and young adults have experienced dramatic increases in obesity rates,” (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). This statistic is what really got the research going and helped the researchers focus specifically on college-aged individuals. Upon diving into their research, the authors found more alarming statistics and related diseases. This included a recognizable relationship between obesity in young people and chronic disease risk, especially diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). In fact, CVD was the second leading cause of death in the US in that college-age group showing that our generation is at a greater risk for health problems than ever before due to our lack of exercise and healthy diets. Researchers then took to college campuses to examine students and their habits and provide risk assessments to promote healthier lifestyles and hopefully decrease the probability of CVD and DM through the metabolic syndrome system,

Perhaps the biggest factor that causes students to gain weight is the adjustment from eating at home to eating at college. A student from Chicago State University wrote in the school paper that, “Students in their first year away from home are sometimes not experienced in choosing foods or balanced meals” (French). The free-for-all campus style eating allows for unlimited choices of food and no parents to tell students what they can or cannot eat. Dietitian Ann Litt is also quoted in a Washington Post article in stating that, “the all you can eat concept in most college food services is an invitation overeat” (Linder). College dining halls are set up like fast food restaurants, and some even contain a McDonalds or a Pizza Hut. Fast food style eating really has no nutritional value, other than lots of fat and calories. In an article which examined the ways which students eat nutritional professor Christina Economos stated that more than fifty percent of students are eating too much fat, and seventy to eighty percent are getting too much saturated fat. She states that lack of fruit and vegetable consumption and the eating of mostly processed food is the main cause of weight gain among students (Linder). When students enter the dining hall they need to remind themselves that eating healthy is important.

The expense of going to college or university can be enormous and overwhelming for students and parents. These costs can include, but are not limited to, transportation to and from campus, tuition, dorm fees, books, and many other “basics” for a young university student, leaving a lot of financial ground to cover. This often leaves little to no room for money to spare for a healthy diet, as students are generally relying on snacks and dining halls for their meals. “College is a time when young people begin to reinforce their eating habits. If you gain weight during this period of your life, it is generally an indicator that weight gain will continue after graduation” (Gores). With this knowledge in mind, developing good eating habits is very important. Developing a healthy eating plan is one way a student can start to combat the “Freshmen 15.” “Studies show that students on average gain 3 to 10 pounds during their first 2 years of college. Most of this weight gain occurs during the first semester of freshman year” (Hirsch 1) but research also suggests “that weight gain during the pursuit of higher education may go well beyond the first year, and could be a bigger health threat than parents, students, or scientists realized” (O’Connor). There are quite a few things that can contribute to this weight gain.

Nutrition is crucial to keeping our body and the mind healthy, however, many people who struggle with stress, anxiety or depression tend to reach for food that eases them such as chips or fast food this is known to be “comfort food”. This food has a direct effect on students energy levels and interrupts them to perform well in their daily life. Moreover, there are many times when post-secondary students are load with so much on their plate that many don't feel the need to eat because they are too overwhelmed to eat or are not motivated too. Mental health is a prominent factor in a university student life which inability impacts their ability to perform a day-to-day task due to chronic

My article was about the dreaded freshman 15 and how it’s common for freshman students to gain weight during their first year. The article talks about if students actually gain 15 pounds just in their first year alone. Some studies have said that this is false, and the average weight gain is closer to around 7 and ½ pounds. While this isn’t so bad, the article goes on to show where all those calories will be coming from, and give tips as to how to avoid weight gain. The article mentions how to pick healthy food in the dining hall, and how to eat less while there. It advises also getting into habits of going to the gym and staying active alongside eating healthy. Lastly, it talks about snacking in between meals and drinking calories. The author

The stigma with college students and their eating habits is that most people eat a diet filled with ramen noodles, microwaveable dinners, and excessive amounts of coffee. Traditionally, the thought of college eating

Having bad eating habits can cause vastly eating disorders and illnesses. Students attending college that do not eat right are most likely to conceive an illness or become overweight. “An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for becoming overweight and obese,” (McNight). Freshman 15 is most likely to get to the students that have This is something to think about when it comes to meal plans. The majority of the meal plans offered at any college are high in fats and calories. By consuming all of these foods you are more likely to having this problem.

Every college student knows about the midnight pizza runs, unlimited food in the dining halls, the ice cream bar, the two-in-the-morning cravings, and that plethora of snacks in the dorm room. In college, students get to make their own life choices, do whatever they want to do, and eat whatever they want to eat. Unfortunately, many college students make poor choices when it comes to their eating habits. A large majority of college students gain weight over the course of their freshman year, and the fact that such an extreme weight gain happens is so significant that it has earned itself a lasting name: the “Freshman Fifteen.”

Obesity has risen over the years. The United States now has one of the highest obesity rates. Bad eating habits are usually the cause of this pandemic. For the past few decades, college dorm foods have led to these habits. The more unhealthy food choices are, the harder it is for people to resist these foods. Colleges serve a variety of unhealthy food in their dining halls that contributes to students’ lower GPA. By eating healthier, students can maintain a healthy weight, focus better in school, and increase their school performance to a higher grade point average (GPA).

So many college students succumb to an unhealthy diet that we have a saying for the weight gain called the “freshman fifteen.” This expression was created for a very real and serious problem on campus. Weight gain, however, is a problem that can be avoided by putting in a little bit of hard work and setting forth goals that can better your behavior. Healthy student living is a solvable problem with a good balance of healthy eating, physical activity, and smart planning.

Every year college kids gain weight. Lisa Flam from Today’s Health believes that only about 25% of freshmen who to lose weight. Many college kids begins to lose their fast metabolism and gain weight. Some of the other factors that cause teens to gain weight is drinking, not getting enough sleep, and not having good eating habits. When trying to lose weight the same information is always suggested eat healthy, daily exercise, and drink plenty of water. What happens when trying these methods doesn’t work? If this method isn’t working then there are different programs that can be used. When beginning a new weight loss program some research should be done before hand. Who would imagine that having a meal plan delivered at the door would be possible? If food delivery isn’t the method that is preferred, there is supplement programs to help lose weight. If none of these options sound appealing, there is also group meetings. There are hundreds of different weight loss programs, but each have similar structures.

Financial difficulties and financial stress have an influence on the way students think. If they are stressed out about their financial situation, then they cannot focus on what is important, their education. Also, student’s appetite changes due to this specific stress because it takes a long time to fix. Financial difficulties can be directly related to higher eating aptitudes (Richardson, Elliot, Waller, & Bell, 2015). Specifically, female students generally have higher eating aptitude test scores then males. Other key findings are that this generally only affected female students. Females with low family affluence have the greatest financial difficulties, they also have the worst eating attitudes (Richardson et al., 2015). Healthy eating is very important for humans, especially college students. Healthy eating is linked to multiple positives including enhanced brain function. If students are not eating well or eating properly this can significantly impact their body and their studies.

It pops up a lot in campus conversation, and new students swear it won 't happen to them. Yet, when summer vacation rolls around next year, many will be buying their jeans a size or two larger. This researcher thinks living on campus (leads to) higher weight gain rates, because you don 't have your mom cooking dinner and healthy meals for you. Campus dining is a problem - there aren 't many healthy options. Attending college for the first time represents a huge lifestyle shift that can result in the sort of 'sneaking ' weight gain students barely notice at first. Oftentimes, they don 't recognize the changes that are going to occur. There are two things that often add to the problem: Their activity level drops - if they were in a sport and don 't continue that sport in college, they 're going to see weight gain if their food intake stays the same. Furthermore, they 're taking in the social scene, increasing food and beverage intake and to make matters worse, hectic schedules and late-night studying can mean losing track of body rhythms, eating according to convenience instead of appetite. Students will eat whatever is fast and available.

Students that are coming into college fear the freshman 15. College life increases amounts of responsibilities. When given these overwhelming responsibilities other basic needs such as sleep and health start to deteriorate. Lack of time management leaves little time or energy to worry about the nutritional value every time stressed students reach for a snack. Each person has his or her own weakness either eating due to stress, boredom, or social eating. Sometimes the student can restrict him or herself from eating junk food, but his or her meals are consumed late at night before bed, so the consequence of weight gain is the same. The freedom of college brings power to these young adults as well as many frequent mistakes. College students should be more conscious of their eating habits in order to set healthful lifestyles for their futures, and combat the freshman 15.

College age students face different problems than the teens in high school. When students live in dormitories at a university or college, they eat on a meal plan. They usually do not have money of their own to spend on food at restaurants so the cafeteria regulates what food they eat. The cafeterias serve a lot of foods such as hamburgers or other meats with sauces and a lot of potatoes. These foods are very high in starch and cause of weight gain.