For many students, adapting to the demands and freedom that come with a college lifestyle can be challenging. Late nights, continuous deadlines, and the difficulties of balancing academics, a social life, work demands, and self-care can be a lot. And in situations like this, eating healthy food tends to be one of the first beneficial practices to fall away. 

When stress levels are high, the body craves foods higher in fat content to sustain the energy needed for higher levels of these hormones. The urge to eat fattier foods leads to eating more processed foods, like fast food and store-bought snacks, that provide little nutritional value but pack a punch with higher levels of calories, salt, and fats. 

A recent study on obesity by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that college-aged students have a rate of obesity of over 30%, which is a significant jump from statistics in the 1970s showing that an average 6% obesity in college-aged students. 

In this article, we’ll look at specific reasons why college students are struggling more to eat healthy these days, and explore how those students can make healthy eating easier despite their stressful environments. 

What Is The Link Between Obesity And Health?

Obesity is a silent disease, too often misidentified by body shape rather than its standard definition of an excess of body fat on a person regardless of shape and size. 

Problems associated with obesity may range from lowered endurance, higher rates of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke risks, type-2 Diabetes, joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, sleep issues including sleep apnea, a higher risk of some types of cancers, and a lower quality of life. 

But often, these issues go unnoticed until they may be too late, causing concern for health professionals. 

Why Is It Hard For College Students To Eat Healthy?

With the risks, why is there a rise in obesity in college students, and how can it be addressed? 

There are a multitude of interrelated issues as to why there has been a rise in student obesity. The primary causes that make students sacrifice healthy eating in favor of fattier and more processed foods include:

• Lack of nutritional education
• Limited access to healthy food options
• Demands on time
• Social pressures
• Limited finances

Lack of Nutritional Education

While students enter college with many tools for the academic rigors of higher education, only some are prepared for life outside the home. Many lack an understanding of basic kitchen skills and the importance of a balanced diet. 

Sadly, knowledge about micronutrients, the impact of food choices on overall health and wellness, and being able to make informed decisions about diet aren’t typically taught in schools or at home. So it’s very common for college students to simply consume the cheapest and most convenient foods rather than prioritizing a balanced diet. 

Limited Access To Healthy Food Options

Besides a lack of nutritional education, many college campuses have limited access to healthy food options. While some universities and dining halls offer menus focused on balanced diets and nutrition, many fast and convenient foods are often abundant around campuses. 

For students living off campus, having the ability to travel to a grocery store is limited, and the distance to a store is sometimes too far from campus to make it a worthwhile trip, creating food deserts for the students. Food deserts are defined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as areas that lack access to healthy food options outside of a 1-mile radius. 

Having a lack of available healthy choices is a significant contributor to the advancement of obesity in college students across the United States. 

Time Demands

College students have incredible demands placed on their time. Between academic commitments, work demands, extracurricular activities, and a burgeoning social life, balancing all the time demands can be overwhelming. These demands make it difficult to shop, prepare, and cook nutritious meals, leaving many students looking at convenient, fast options such as pre-packaged and fast food options. 

These options may alleviate hunger but provide little nutrients to the student’s diet. Since most of these pre-packaged meals and fast food options are loaded with fats, sugar, and salt, they contribute significantly to the problem of obesity in college students. 

Social Pressures

On top of school and work demands, college students’ peer groups are the single most influential influence on behavior. College is a time of social bonding and building relationships, so the desire to fit in and assimilate is strong. 

These social demands often are centered around meals and parties, which can take priority over healthier choices. 

From overindulging in alcohol to late-night binging snacks, the pressure to fit in with your dorm mates and peers can lead to poor decisions about what a student eats and how often. When everyone else is eating fast food and party snacks, it becomes easier to understand why it is hard for college students to eat healthy.

Limited Finances

With the rising cost of higher education and the impact of inflation on living expenses, it can be difficult for college students to budget for healthier food options with higher prices. Coupled with a lack of transportation and food deserts, finding healthy foods for college students becomes exceptionally challenging. 

Struggling to budget for healthier food choices on a student’s limited income, especially compared to the lower cost of fast food and pre-packaged meals, makes it easier for college students to just eat what they can afford regardless of its nutritional value. 

What Is A Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet that provides daily calorie requirements from sources of foods that offer the right proportions of nutrients. 

These calories should be derived from the following sources: 

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are energy sources in the body. Whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates. 

Proteins: Proteins are the building blocks for building and maintaining muscles in the body and aid in metabolism and digestion. Lean proteins like fish, chicken, yogurt, eggs, and beans are some of the best protein sources. 

Fats: Fats are a source of sustained energy, and there are plenty of healthy fats to choose from, like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.  

Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins and minerals help provide the body with energy and support the immune system and are found in a variety of fruits and green vegetables. 

Fiber: Fiber aids digestion and can help control appetite. Many fruits, legumes, and vegetables are high in fiber. 

Any discussion about why it is hard for college students to eat healthy should be approached as a multi-faceted issue. Students are overly stressed, lack nutritional education, struggle to access healthy food options, and face limited finances, just to name a few factors. 

However, with adequate education and access, students are better equipped to make healthier food decisions. Universities and colleges can take the initiative in creating practical solutions to the obesity epidemic among college students.