According To Options For Youth Research

When children do not eat a healthy meal, their concentration and energy become more difficult to manage. The “Journal of School Health” issued a study in 2008 about the eating behaviors of approximately 5,000 school children. The research showed that children who ate more fruits and vegetables, accomplished higher grades on tests compared with children who consumed a high-fat, high-salt diet

Students need healthy, nutritious food choices to fuel their mind and bodies. Students experiencing food insecurity either don’t have enough food to eat or are eating a poor, nutrient- deficient diet. Either way, poor diets can affect the student’s physical and mental health which can lead to interruptions in their learning. Universities need to gather statistics on the portion of their student population affected by food insecurity and work towards a remedy. Not only does the student benefit from university interventions, but the university benefits by graduating students that are healthy, well-educated and have an instilled sense of the community involvement needed to invest in the future.

Currently, college age individuals are more overwhelmed than ever. More often than not, a college student will use the term “stressed out” to describe themselves. It seems to have become more of a lifestyle over time without proper coping mechanisms. Why are college students so stressed out? Students are constantly faced with many demands all at once – to study and achieve good grades, to work, to pay bills, have a social life, and still manage to sleep, eat, and take care of themselves all within the 24 hours the day has. Fit for Fifteen is a program that will benefit college students in teaching them healthy coping mechanisms for stress, while helping them create healthy meal plans and budgeting strategies.

“The Glenn College Wellness Council was created not only to carry out university-wide wellness initiatives,” said Miller. “But to also develop ways to encourage and enable wellness throughout the college.” The goal of the Council is to establish a college-wide culture of health awareness. This is achieved by informing the college of health and wellness research, resources and initiatives, providing wellness resources and opportunities throughout Page Hall and establishing a general acceptance and “norm” of wellness so people do not feel uncomfortable engaging in wellness

Let face it, everybody wishes they could be healthier. Whether it by exercising more, making better decisions about what we eat, or a combination of both. There are many ways for a college student to stay healthy. However, what I lack is the control needed in keeping up with these life changing habits.

Learning information depletes the brain's supply of glucose. It is important to refuel children's glucose levels with a healthy lunch. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein are options that are highly effective in improving academic performance. It is scientifically proven that after a child eats a large, non-healthy meal, they feel more tired due to the body's process of digestion. A student eating significant amounts of less nutritional food can be harder to digest and make their bodies work harder. A healthy lunch can give children the energy they need to stay focused, pay attention in class, and learn the information presented to them in their classes after lunchtime.

Not only are students scoring better, but they’re becoming more energetic. Teachers often complain about students who fall asleep in class, yet schools are providing low nutritional value foods that contribute to students having low energy. Greater nutritional value foods provide a more steady supply of energy for the students. By increasing their energy levels, this ensures that the majority of students can remain focused in class, improving their overall

Today, college students are not getting enough nutrition in their foods to lead a healthy life. For example, in a paper written by,

First of all, students aren’t motivated to eat unhealthy, not-tasty food. If you observed students buying lunch in the cafeteria, you don’t often see them buying these kinds, but not limited to, foodstuffs: burritos (which are just beans wrapped in tortillas), “burgers” (meat slapped on two

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).

In today’s world, students are being challenged more academically than they have ever been in the past. This is causing students to focus more on their education, and less on getting the proper nutrients they need (Leal). Students should be allowed to eat in class because it will give them more energy throughout the day, help them focus, and will help them receive the nutrients they need to live a happy life (Brozak).

Although the students want to choose what they eat, they should still eat healthy. Many students were falling asleep in class and during practice.

College life is a time full of fun, friends, activities, classes, and homework. All of these activities however, add up to a busy life style. Being busy is not in itself harmful but when the busyness becomes so great that it turns into stress, problems start to arise. The formation of stress leads to many unhealthy trends, such as lack of sleep, loss of immunity to disease, and a change in personality traits. How then can stress in the busy lives of college students be reduced? The answer is a simple one that has long been known; exercise relieves stress. Colleges across the country need to implement a program of required exercise classes to promote the well being of students.

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 develop over 70% of their lifelong behaviors in college/universities. Throughout their college years, students struggle and strive to uphold a balance between their academic, social, and personal life. With these challenges already hard to manage, I knew establishing lifelong healthy habits would sit at the back burner. Thus, this resulted in my choice of college students as my target group for my community experience. My philosophy’s is rooted in prevention interventions. I view nutrition education as a prevention intervention because as I continue to further my career in nutrition and dietetic field, I believe in the nutrition community as health educators. The foundational goal should be to educate

Food -- it is a necessity. There is not one person who does not think about it on a daily basis. For a college student, the quality of food available is not always to the highest of standards. Many students can not afford to buy expensive food or eat out on a regular basis. Many times their only option left is to eat from their school’s dining halls.