Nutrition is influenced by the type of food individuals consume. Eating foods that are high in nutrients in order to maintain health and provide energy to the body, is considered as having good nutrition. Consuming too many foods that are high in fats, sodium, or sugar lead individuals to have poor nutrition (MedlinePlus, 2015). Once starting college, many students have a large decline in their nutritional health, and develop poor nutrition. College students tend to live busy lives, while suffering from constant stress and little income, causing them to make poor dietary choices. The decline of nutrition amongst college students is an important public health issue because at this age, individuals become more independent and establish life
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One major health disparity amongst college students is socioeconomic status (SES). Individuals who have a low SES tend to eat less nutritious foods than those with a high SES. Students in college who have a low SES hare more likely to have poor dietary habits before entering college and as a result continue to eat unhealthy during college because they do not know any different. This causes habit formation of eating unhealthy food that will carry on into adulthood, leading to more chronic disease. Another health disparity amongst college students is stress. Studies have shown that medical major students tend to be the most stressed compared to other major’s. It is assumed that medical majors would practice healthy eating habits because of their knowledge of nutrition, however medical students do not apply this knowledge because they tend to show early symptoms of chronic disease due to poor nutrition. Stress influences dietary choices, more stress leads to negative dietary choices ultimately causing the development of poor nutrition (Nelson, Story, Larson, Sztainer, & Lytle, …show more content…
By helping college students develop good eating habits and nutritional health, $20 billion a year can be saved in medical cost (Fitness, 2011). It is important to begin regulating the types of food trucks on campus and make healthy food options available because these will prove to be more helpful and effective instead of waiting till an individual develops a chronic disease and tries to treat it
One major health disparity amongst college students is socioeconomic status (SES). Individuals who have a low SES tend to eat less nutritious foods than those with a high SES. Students in college who have a low SES hare more likely to have poor dietary habits before entering college and as a result continue to eat unhealthy during college because they do not know any different. This causes habit formation of eating unhealthy food that will carry on into adulthood, leading to more chronic disease. Another health disparity amongst college students is stress. Studies have shown that medical major students tend to be the most stressed compared to other major’s. It is assumed that medical majors would practice healthy eating habits because of their knowledge of nutrition, however medical students do not apply this knowledge because they tend to show early symptoms of chronic disease due to poor nutrition. Stress influences dietary choices, more stress leads to negative dietary choices ultimately causing the development of poor nutrition (Nelson, Story, Larson, Sztainer, & Lytle, …show more content…
By helping college students develop good eating habits and nutritional health, $20 billion a year can be saved in medical cost (Fitness, 2011). It is important to begin regulating the types of food trucks on campus and make healthy food options available because these will prove to be more helpful and effective instead of waiting till an individual develops a chronic disease and tries to treat it