Getting Through College

Getting Through College

“When in doubt eat fruit.” That is the advice Francesca Haller gives her daughter, Nicole, any time Nicole is hungry and isn’t sure what she wants. Nicole is a sophomore American Sign Language major at Northeastern University.

The anticipation of attending college floods teenagers with numerous thoughts. Living on their own, going to class when they please, staying out as late as they want, and surviving on food the dining hall provides or what they buy at the grocery store. More free time, or lack there of, may bring students spinning downwards towards bad eating habits and malnutrition. Rolling out of bed five minutes before class means grabbing a coffee on the way. Too much homework or a big project might mean skipping a healthy dinner and cooking some Ramen noodles or snacking on chips all night. This is where the “convenience foods” come in which are factory made dishes or meals that only need to be heated up or need just one or two additional ingredients.

For students who refuse to be part of the stereotype, or gain weight at all throughout their college years, skipping meals and dieting comes into play. Eating disorders can plague students as well. According to The Kellogg Report: the impact of nutrition, environment, and lifestyle on the health of Americans, without the more watchful eye of a parent, students with eating disorders may be more apt to go unnoticed for a longer period of time.

Teresa Fung, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Simmons College has noticed trends in college students’ eating habits.

“They have no time to eat, and nutrition is not a priority to them; therefore, they’re not paying attention to what they are eating. There is a small number of disordered eating, but not usually to the extent of eating disorders,” said Fung. “Also, the less-then-optimal healthy way of eating is also partly the result of not knowing that some foods look healthy, but they are not, and also the general lack of nutrition knowledge.”

Boston Nutritionist, Jenna Hollenstein, has also seen many trends in college students, but said that they differ according to age, sex, education level, and much more.

“For example, the ‘freshman 15’ is a pretty well-known phenomenon but the tendency for newly married women and men to gain weight is lesser known. Young adults not living with parents or elders tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables and are also likely to eat higher-fat diets,” Hollenstein said.