UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

As Virginia Woolf, a popular English writer once said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if he has not dined well”.

• Food is a very important aspect of an individual’s life. 🍲

• It is important for proper development physically, mentally, and emotionally. 😀

• Young adults are at risk of engaging in unhealthy eating habits especially as they enter university and assume responsibility for their daily eating and lifestyle choices. 👨🏽‍🎓

• They tend to engage in different unhealthy eating habits due to many other factors which will be highlighted in this write-up.

Skipping Breakfast

• One unhealthy eating habit university students engage in is skipping breakfast. 🍽️

• In a study by Tok Chu Yen et al. which explored patterns and lifestyle practices of students in the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, it was discovered that more than half skipped breakfast. 🍽️

• Arguments may be placed for reasons for missing breakfast, such as schedules of universities (students are expected to attend classes very early in the morning and in a bid to avoid lateness, skipping breakfast becomes necessary) and the fact that they don’t feel hungry at the time they leave for school. 🏫

• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Its importance cannot be overemphasized. 🥞

• John Gunter, an American journalist, once said, ‘All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast', and one could not agree more as the benefits show this. 😄

• Some of the benefits of eating breakfast include:
• it serves as an energy boost for the day’s work. 💪
  

• it powers the brain by improving memory and concentration during classes. 🧠
  

• it gives essential nutrients (most breakfasts contain milk, dairy products, and whole grains). 🥛

• A study presented at a 2012 meeting in New Orleans found that skipping breakfast can cause a person to seek out higher calorie foods later in the day which could lead to weight gain. 🍩
  

Late Night Eating

• Eating late at night among students is one menace that should also be stopped. 🌃

• A famous Anna Thomas quote tells us ‘We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly”. 🤢

• Eating late at night is eating badly and it has lots of disadvantages. 👎

• Factors that contribute to this bad habit include the hectic schedule of activities e.g. classes, assignments, projects, and reading; students having to take up student jobs which could run till late at night thereby affording them little or no time to eat until night-time. ⏲️

• The negative effects of late-night eating go thus: increased risk of obesity, increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease, it can lead to eating disorders, it disturbs sleep schedule, and it can affect metabolism and digestion. 🛏️

Fast Food

• Eating fast food is one very popular eating habit among students. 🍕

• The vast number of fast-food vendors, cafes, and restaurants on campus premises further aids the popularity of this unhealthy eating habit. 🍔

• Fast food is usually a convenient and inexpensive option for university students especially when time is limited and there is a heavy workload. 🍟

• These fast foods are usually high-energy food, sweetened drinks, and fatty food. 🌭

• Effects of regular consumption of fast food include obesity, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, depression, acne, and stroke. 🫀

Lack of Fruit and Veg

• Inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables among students is common. 🥝

• According to the American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA from 2018) more than 95% of college students surveyed reported eating less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 8.4% reported eating no servings daily. 🚫

• It is important to note that the World Health Organization encourages intake of greater than 5 servings per day for adults. 🥕

• Boek et al. (2012) found that the majority of students identified increased cost as a reason for avoiding fresh fruits and vegetables, instead going for convenience meals. 💷
  

Despite having good nutrition knowledge, the majority of students have poor eating habits. These habits have short and long-term effects on the well-being of students. Conscious efforts should be made by the individuals and school authorities to curb these habits. Proper planning, time management, and other efforts in eating right will go a long way. School authorities can create regulations on the quality and type of food sold on campus premises and establish a multidisciplinary committee whose function is to promote good nutrition among students.

As Francois de la Rochefoucauld once said ‘ To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art; the art must be learned'.

By Jenyo Ayomide

I-Medics Ambassador

REFERENCES:

Tok Chen Yun, Siti Rohaiza Ahmad, David Koh Soo Quee. Dietary Habits and Lifestyle Practices among University Students in Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences.2016.

World Health Organization. Obesity and Overweight. 2017.

Hakim NA, Muniandy N, Danishh A . Nutritional status and eating practices among university students in selected universities in Selangor, Malaysia. Asian Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012.

American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II.

Boek S, Bianco-Simeral, Chan, K, Goto K. Gender and Race are significant Determinants of Students’ Food choices on a college campus. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour. 2012.