A researcher warns that having established poor eating habits in one's post-secondary studies may foster health conditions in the future, including respiratory illnesses, obesity, and depression.
Students' Poor Eating Habits
Science Daily reports that a team of global researchers conducted a multisite study that examined university students' eating habits. The study covered nearly 12,000 medical students from 31 universities across China. The researchers aimed to see the link between eating habits and obesity and other health conditions.
Dr. Joan Bottorf, a co-researcher from the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, notes that several poor eating habits that start during one's university days continue for a couple of decades. Dr. Bottorff explains how they are familiar with the high-calorie and sugar consumption of university students and that there is remarkable evidence that shows that these eating habits may lead to obesity. While they may not be the only habits, they are nonetheless important and cannot be excluded.
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University Students' Diet and Future Health Conditions
The study was recently published in the Preventive Medicine Reports and was led by Dr. Shihui Peng with China's Jinan University's School of Medicine.
Though well-established research shows the link between unhealthy eating habits and several chronic conditions, this research wanted to demonstrate the link that poor eating habits and infectious conditions, such as diarrhea and colds, could have, the Economic Times reports.
While it was not possible for the researchers to establish a causal relationship between these variables, the links between poor eating habits, respiratory conditions, and obesity were supported well.
The typical high-calorie or high-sugar diet of university students may end up becoming a long-standing issue, as such behaviors may lead to obesity. Dr. Bottorf explains that there is evidence that demonstrates how anxiety and stress may lead to overeating. However, on the other hand, overeating could also lead to depression and stress.
Overall, the bottom line is that the risky eating patterns of university students should not be ignored and that these habits may lead to chronic or infectious diseases.
Dr. Bottorf notes that students should be taught to eat healthy during their university years, but the school should also offer healthy and affordable options to the students. It is important to ensure that the vending machines and cafeterias offer healthy food options so that students can grab healthy food on the go.
The UBC Student Wellness and Food Services is working on catering to the food literacy and food security issues. They recognize that the lack of good food options, mixed with school stress, may negatively affect the food choices of students.
Dr. Bottorf does agree that food options in cafeterias have been getting better. She also notes that drinks in vending machines have been rearranged so that the healthier ones can be seen at eye level, while the more sugary options are found lower.
She adds that several post-secondary institutions are trying to address such issues and that this is a good thing, considering how this was not a concern four to five years ago. She thinks that they are on the right track, but that there is still a long way to go.
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