College Student’s Nutrition

College Student’s Nutrition

by David Hymes

There are a lot of things on the mind of college freshman when they first get to college. They are thinking about the dorm life, the social life, the classroom environment, and their professors. They are not thinking about how they are going to maintain a healthy nutritious lifestyle over the next four years. But this is important and the dining services at University Kentucky are a huge part of the nutrition of students. Every student at the University of Kentucky uses the dining programs everyday and rely on them to fuel their body and mind. Without them students would not have what they need to be successful. The University of Kentucky is not alone when it comes to the importance of dining services. Almost all colleges rely heavily on their meal programs. The dining services are the majority of the diet of a lot of students. The dining services should provide options for students to have a healthy diet. A lot of college students live a unhealthy lifestyle and the dining services should not contribute to this unhealthy lifestyle. But the food still should being appealing to college students. Students should also stay away from behavior and situations that could cause them to make unhealthy choices.

College students are unhealthy people especially college freshman. The term “freshman 15” is very much real and a lot of students experience weight gain during there first year of college. In fact about 70 percent of students gain wait their freshman year. This is due to the fact that this is the first time students have been away from home for a extended period of time. Students are use to home cooked meals cooked by mom. But at college Mom is not there and students grab what is easiest and what is easiest is usually not the healthiest choice (Dryden). The universities should put more effort in making healthier options more available. With more healthy eating options students will be way more likely to make the right healthy choices everyday.

Student nutrition and wellness is an issue across the country. But all the burden can not be put solely on the colleges and universities. The Students should take responsibility. But the parents should also be more active in the nutrition of students. If parents provide a healthy diet at home students will be more likely to have a healthy diet at school. High schools should also put a greater emphasis on nutrition. They should educate student on the importance of a healthy diet in college. Students should go to college knowing that they are adults and need to have learned the correct steps to maintain a healthy balanced diet (College Kids).

With big universities it can be hard to ensure a healthy lifestyle by all students and it should not lie on the university solely. The people that attend college are all adults and need to make healthy choices by themselves. However, the university should take some responsibility. The universities should provide healthy options. Even though it may be more economically feasible to give out unhealthy options the health of the students should be more important. This is because potential students see it as a positive in schools with diverse and healthy food options. If a school only offers the same food over and over again that will get on students nerves.

The University of kentucky offers many different places to eat on campus. One of those places is K Lair. The K Lair grill has been an institution at the University of Kentucky for decades. The K Lair is not known as the most healthy place to eat on campus. In fact it has been known as the “grease pit” in past years. But K Lair over the past few years has stepped away from that and moved toward healthier options. K Lair now has a deli that offers fresh cold cut sandwiches and other healthier options. This provides a nice healthy break from the standard burger or fried foods found at K Lair. K Lair also offers unique salad choices (university). Ryan Riordan a sophomore at UK and an employee at K Lair says “A lot of people see it as impossible to eat healthy at K Lair but that is not true… K Lair does offer healthy choices and its just a matter of looking for the healthy options.” K Lair does still provide the unhealthy options but they are not recommended to eat all the time. But they are nice to have occasionally (University).

The University kentucky dining services and meal plans are not universally used. In fact colleges in Kentucky provide different options. Centre college for instance is a small liberal arts college in Danville Kentucky and the dining services are different there. This is because centre is a much smaller school compared to the University of Kentucky. Centre has only a couple dining locations on campus. The main one on campus is Cowan dining Hall. This place provides a lot of different options for dining. Because centre is smaller and there is a lot less students more emphasis can be put on the healthy options. The dining services make it easier have a balanced healthy diet. They provide everything from a salad bar to fresh healthy entree options. They even provide healthy exotic options to switch up from the everyday food options. “I love the food at Centre. I thought when I came to college I would start eating way unhealthier and put on weight but that is not the case at all in fact the food has made me feel healthier than ever. ” But because Centre is small there is limited food options and there are those who get sick of eating at the same place everyday. But Centre is the same as the University of Kentucky in one aspect and that is that Centre could not survive without there dining services. This especially true at Centre because it is not that close to very many outside restaurants (Centre).

Another small school with a unique dining program is Morehead State. Morehead is unique because although it is a small school it does offer a large amount of dining areas. The dining areas on campus at Morehead also emphasize nutrition heavily. There dining website provides facts on having a healthy diet (Campus). They even provide podcasts on healthy diet and nutritional tips. Like Centre due its size Morehead is able to put more of a emphasis on student nutrition and wellness. “As a football player I need to maintain a healthy diet to maintain my fitness level, Morehead offers an environment where I can do that” said Hunter Brewer a freshman linebacker. Morehead is a small school the athletes take up a large percentage of the student population and if the school wants good sports teams the school needs to provide a healthy and nutritious diet so that the athletes can stay fit.

Staying fit and healthy can be challenging. This is especially true in college. Eating healthy is important and hard to do as well. It is especially difficult for part time students. When a student is full time especially freshman and especially at the University of Kentucky, almost all meals are eaten on campus. While part time students tend to eat more off campus. It is easier to healthy on campus than off campus. This is because the dining services make it easy to eat healthy and quickly. A student can grab a salad from Ovids very quickly for example. While part time students have to eat off campus items like fast food(Quintallani). Fast food is not nearly as healthy as the campus dining options at the University of Kentucky. Also a long with be given more opportunities to eat healthy, full time students have more opportunities to workout and be active especially at the University of Kentucky. Full time students have the Johnson Center and the Underground to use. While part time students can use these facilities they are not on campus as much and use these places significantly less. Also the intramural leagues at the University of kentucky are full of predominantly full time students. Part time students tend to have jobs that keep them busy and make them unable to participate in these programs making it difficult to main a healthy, nutritious and active lifestyle (Quintillani).

Many college students live unhealthy life styles all over the country. There are many factors that contribute to this unhealthy life style. One of these is the academic pressure put on the traditional college students. College students frequently do “all nighters” where they stay up all night studying. This practice is very unhealthy and does not help a students nutritional health. During these all nighters students do not have the time to eat healthy. Students are also under a lot of stress during these all nighters and make the food choice that will make them happy. Things that makes students happy in those situations are things like candy bars and potato chips. The food options during these all night study sessions is not good. Usually all thats available is a vending machine filled with unhealthy items. Students need to stay awake during these all night study sessions and students feel the need to drink a lot of caffeine and eat a lot of sugar this practices is not healthy and hurts the body. To maintain a healthy lifestyle students should prepare for the all nighter. Students should bring healthy snacks and in take as little caffeine as possible. “All nighters” happen to all students at some point but students should prepare for them. The schools should also take some initiative however and make healthy snacks more available at night. Students should not have to settle for unhealthy food. The vending machines especially should be stocked up with healthier items. They should at least give the students an opportunity to eat healthy (Oz).

When students get to college it is the first time a lot of them have been without parental supervision. This new found freedom gives them the opportunity to do things that they could not get away with at home. One of the new freedoms they have is to go to parties and to consume drugs and alcohol. Consuming alcohol and drugs is extremely unhealthy for students. Alcohol for example kills brain cells and can cause weight gain. Alcohol can also cause people to make bad decisions regarding there food choices. This is because when under the influence of alcohol a persons judgement is impaired and this causes people to make bad decisions in their food choices. When someone is intoxicated and gets hungry they want immediate gratification. It is usually late at night on the weekend meaning the dining services on campus are usually closed and that means the food options are limited to fast food. Also at parties there is not a lot of healthy food options offered. Things like chips are served most of the time. To maintain a healthy lifestyle students should stay away from things like drugs and alcohol entirely. But not all students do that, those students should eat something healthy and substantial before going out. Also they should refrain from binge drinking or getting too drunk. Finally students should not excessively drink regularly. That type of behavior will do damage to your liver and cause weight gain (Oz).

Students need to stay active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Inactivity leads students into unhealthy eating habits. In college there is quite a bit of downtime sometimes. That downtime can cause students to be lazy and to sit around in the dorms and watch television. This is dangerous to nutritional health because a lot of college students have food in the dorm room. The problem with this is the food usually found in dorm rooms is usually not healthy. The food in dorm rooms tends to be snack food things like potato chips, hot pockets, and easy mac. Also a lot of students do not use the down time to get a lot done. The ideal usage of this time is to probably work out or to plan ahead in their classes. But a lot of students do not do this and instead use this time to sit around and usually watch television. The danger here nutritionally is boredom eating or eating cause there is food there. This type of behavior is dangerous and can cause weight gain. Schools and universities can fight this by offering programs and activities that encourage to get out and be active (Fortunato).

Meal skipping in college is a dangerous to a students nutrition. Students in college tend to skip meals, mainly breakfast, and it may be hurting them nutritionally. Skipping a meal may seem safe to do and may seem like it would help in weight loss but it in fact does not. College students tend to try to get the most sleep as possible and wake up as late as possible for their morning classes leaving no time for breakfast. This is harmful to a student’s nutrition. It is harmful because students will end up eating more in the day. This is because at the other meals students are hungrier than usual. The hungrier a student is the less they will care about what they put in their mouth. Students should try and eat something in the mornings even if it is light. If they do it will end up being very helpful in the long run. Schools should help out with this. Schools should make breakfast more available and quick. If schools put effort in having quick and nutritious breakfast items available the students will be healthier. Also by doing this more students will buy food bringing more money into the school (College Kids).

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in college is difficult but it is diffidently not impossible. It takes some effort from the student and from the institution. Students need to avoid unhealthy behavior and unhealthy situations to stay nutritionally sound. All institutions should do all they can to keep their students healthy. It may take some effort but will end up helping the students and college as whole in the long run. The University of Kentucky’s dining services may go unnoticed but it is diffidently crucial to the university. The University of Kentucky’s dining services does provide an environment where students can be healthy. But more can be done and student nutrition should be emphasized in the future.

Works Cited

“Centre College Dining Services.” Centre College Dining Services. Centre College, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

“College Kids Gain Weight beyond First Year.” MSNBC News. MSNBC, 22 Oct. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Dryden, Jim. “Study Finds Most Students Gain Weight during Early College Years | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis.” Study Finds Most Students Gain Weight during Early College Years | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University in St.Louis, 8 Sept. 2005. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Fortunato, Kait. “Nutrition for the College Student.” Timi Gustafson RD How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun. Solstice Publications, 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

“K-Lair.” Personal interview. 15 Nov. 2012.

Kurtcher, Matthew. “Centre College Food.” E-mail interview. 20 Nov. 2012.

“Morehead State Food.” E-mail interview. 16 Nov. 2012.

Oz, Daphne. “The 5 Danger Zones of College Student Nutrition.” The Forum for HEALTHY CHOICES at Eastern. Eastern Washington University, 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Quintillani, Lisa M., Hilary L. Bishop, Mary L. Greany, and Jessica A. Whiteley. “Factors across Home, Work, and School Domains Influence Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors of Nontraditional College Students.” Nutrition Research Oct.-Nov. 2012: n. pag. Ebsco. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.

“University of Kentucky: Dining Services -K Lair.” University of Kentucky: Dining Services -K Lair. University of Kentucky, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

“Welcome to CampusDish at Morehead State University!” Welcome to CampusDish at Morehead State University! Morehead State University, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

Food’s Impact on University of Kentucky Students and College Students Across America

Food’s Impact on University of Kentucky Students and College Students Across America

By Arun Nadar

College is an important time in the life of a young person. It is when he or she finally begins life without being around his or her parents for a long period of time and begins to make decisions that impact their lives and habits. One of the major decisions a college student makes on a daily basis is what he or she will eat. On and around the University of Kentucky campus, there are different styles of food that students have to choose from that along with other factors that ultimately impact students’ food choices. The choices of the students and the provisions of the University of Kentucky and the surrounding area reflect trends of college student lifestyles around the United States.

One of the first choices students make even before stepping on campus is their meal plan. This is when a student decides how much food he or she plans to consume over the school year. To make sure students get the right amount of meals, the University of Kentucky offers a wide range of meal plans.  The meal plans range from 5 to10 meals a week all the way up to 21 meals a week. Meal plans also come with a set amount of Flex Dollars of either 300 or 700 dollars, which can be used, similar to prepaid cash at restaurants across campus. The University of Kentucky is not the only school that provides a similar style of meal plan options. The University of Louisville offers meal plans of different meal and Flex Dollar amounts based upon where the a student decides to live.  Students that live in residence halls without their own personal kitchens pick from meal plans that are meal swipe-based, while students who live in residence halls with personal kitchens or are commuters choose from meal plans that are more Flex Dollar-based. Although students ultimately decide how much they consume, the meal plan a student selects will dictate how much they will eat. Due to meal plans having different number of meals this means that there are different amounts of food students will eat. Typically, those with the higher number of meals will be the ones who will consume the most calories or have left over swipes. The desire to not waste meal swipes becomes a factor at the end of the week or at the end of the semester when students go on food binges to prevent their swipes from running out. Both aspects could lead to students gaining weight.

Upon arriving on the University of Kentucky’s campus, students have a wide variety of restaurant options, where student can spend their meal swipes and Flex Dollars. At the student center, there is Starbucks, Sbarro, Subway, Chick-fil-a, and Panda Express. On North campus, there is Blazer, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet; along with Blazer, there is Intermezzo, a café that offers sandwiches, and Commons Market, which is similar to Blazer. There is also Starbucks, Bluegrass Café, and Ovid’s Café. All of these restaurants are located on South Campus. On Central campus, there is K Lair, which is a grill, a Starbucks, and an Apothecary Café. The cafés usually sell bakery-style foods. For students, who live in their respective fraternity or sorority houses, a chef prepares daily meals. Throughout the nation, colleges have many restaurants on their campus. The University of Louisville has fast-food restaurants such as Subway and Chick-fil-a, as well as Papa John’s Pizza and Wendy’s. It also has more deli and restaurant options that include McAlister’s Deli and Damon’s Grill.

On-campus food can become pretty boring after eating it some many times a week. Luckily, there are a number of restaurants close to campus that helps students break away from the routine. There are fast-food places such as Fazoli’s, Papa John’s Pizza, Qdoba, and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. American-style diners, such as Tolly Ho and Ramsay’s are relatively close to campus. For students looking for food that is not native to Kentucky, let alone the United States, Sav’s Grill & West African Cuisine and Bombay Bar and Grill are great options. The restaurants close to the campus of the University of Louisville are similar in style to those of the University of Kentucky and those of restaurants near college campuses around the country. The surrounding area of the University of Louisville campus has fast food restaurants like Qdoba, Papalino’s Pizza, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and The Comfy Cow. There are also international restaurants such as Safir’s Mediterranean Deli and Shah’s Mongolian Grill.

Just like restaurants only serve certain kinds of food, different cultures and religious groups only allow their members to eat food that is prepared in certain ways. For example, Jews eat kosher foods and Muslims eat halal foods. At the University of Kentucky, foods that are prepared in the halal style are not provided to students. In an interview with Asad Jawaid, a University of Kentucky student and devote Muslim, Asad said, “the University does not offer halal foods, but there are restaurants that do serve them that are in close proximity to campus such as Campus Café. It does become a hassle, however to have to go off campus when I want to eat something else.”  Not having halal food is not uncommon at schools in Kentucky. Other notable state university’s that do not serve halal foods are the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University. Outside of Kentucky, universities such as the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis do offer halal food options.

Money is an important aspect in the food decisions of college students.  College students typically do not have a lot of money. Many students work jobs during the summer and school year to pay for school necessities such as books and transportation.  These necessities along with the rising cost of tuition puts an even greater strain on the purse strings of college students. Brian Kim, a freshman at the University of Louisville who works at a deli shop, described the importance of having his job. Brian said that he “was really lucky to have [his] job because a lot of [his] college-age friends try to find one since a lot of them too are paying for school and gas.” In an interview with Ali Ahmed, a freshman at Xavier University, Ali said that price was a major factor in his food making decision and that he eats fast food fairly often because it “ is cheap and tastes good.” Brian agreed with Ali about the decision to eat fast food. He based his decision on it tasting “good and being cheap.” In a survey of college students reported in The Flor-Ala “Students Rely More on Convenience, Price When Considering Food Options,” it was found that college students eat six to eight fast food meals a week. This illustrates the overwhelming importance of low price over nutrition. The need for college students to maintain a balanced budget coupled with 35% of college students being overweight or obese is worrisome for the college student health.

As the old saying goes, time is money, but in college time is grades. College students are some of the busiest people. No matter the time of night, someone is likely to be working on paper or studying for a major test. Grades are such a main focus that students look for ways to cut down on the time they spend doing activities that they deem trivial. One way students cut down on time spent is in their time eating. Students do not have the time to sit down and have a healthy home-cooked meal, so they rely a lot on fast food. When I need to finish a paper or project and do not have the time to stand in the long lines at Ovid’s or sit down at Commons, I will get my food at either Chick-fil-a or Panda Express and rush back to my dorm to work. Along with the price of the food, the quickness of fast food is one of the reasons why college students eat six to eight fast food meals a week.

Another way students cut down on activities not related to school is by staying awake with the help of caffeinated drinks to maximize their productivity. Jack Grundy, a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, admitted he stays awake late at night because “in the long run my grades are more important.” Ali said that, “I consistently put off sleeping because I have lots of work and can not afford to not get it done.” I as well will put off sleeping to finish my work all the way up to class the next day. In a study of Marshall University freshmen, it was found that 83% of freshman reported having at least one sign/symptom of caffeine intoxication and 51% reported having at least one sign/symptom of caffeine withdrawal. Students who were involved in an organized activity consumed 60.7% more caffeine than those students who were not involved in an organized activity. More than 76% of freshman admitted to using caffeine to help keep them awake.  The use of caffeinated drinks by Marshall University Freshman is similar to students at other schools. Ali admitted that, “I use them [caffeinated drinks] a lot to stay awake when I have a lot of school work.” Jack said that caffeinated drinks help “when I get tired and lose focus, but need to finish more work.” He also said that he was “not happy about drinking caffeinated drinks, but it is sometimes necessary.” Asad admitted that he uses caffeinated drinks to “remain alert and awake to get work done late at night.” From my personal experience, at around 11 o’clock the line at the Starbucks next to the library starts to get long as students prepare for the long night of studying ahead.

Caffeinated drinks have been shown to have impact on the physical health of students, but nutrition is another contributing factor to the physical health of college students. Colleges and universities all offer their students healthy options, whether it is salad and fruit bars or sandwich lines. Schools provide these options to students, but students do not always make the wisest food choices. A study of 1,800 college students by Tufts University found that 66% of students do not eat the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and half of surveyed students do not get the recommended amount of 25 grams of fiber a day. It was also found that 60% of students eat more of high fat foods than is recommended. A major finding was that in 30% of women do not get enough calcium. The sad thing about the health issue of college students is that a fair amount of students know they are not eating right. Fifty-nine percent of college students in the study conducted by Tufts University admitted that since coming to college their diets had diminished.

This leads students to gain unwanted weight, not as the dreaded “freshman fifteen,” but a few pounds here and there each year until it was close to the “freshman fifteen.” It has been reported that during college, that men significantly gain more unwanted weight than women. This issue has many people worried because the eating habits college students develop can affect them the rest of their lives. It has been found that the eating habits college students form follow them into their twenties and thirties. Different health organizations realize the health issues of college students and have tried to give advice to college kids on how to live healthfully. One such organization is the CDC that has provided a list of tips for students to live a healthful life. Colleges and universities have also made attempts to stop the weight-gaining problem and improve the health of their students. Many schools, including the University of Kentucky, have put a lot of effort into improving their student health centers as well as offering personal trainers.

Just like having an affect on physical health, food also plays a role in the mental health of college students. Eating properly can help students in areas that are most important to students like their memory and ability to focus. According to Dr. Christina Economos, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, it is best for students to eat in the morning no matter what. This prevents their blood glucose levels from falling to low later on in the day. When blood glucose levels become too low, it is hard for students to concentrate. When asked about if eating helps him focus, Asad said that eating healthy foods “ help me to regain focus during the day after having a long day of classes and prepare me for the night.” In the Daily Mail, it has been reported that the best way to focus is by eating three times a day along with healthy snacks. In the Daily Mail article “The Brain Diet: Eating the Right Foods Can Improve Your Memory, Lift Your Mood and Help You Concentrate for Longer,” it was reported that eating healthy foods such as cabbage, broccoli, and eggs could help boost a person’s memory.  Another way students are able to improve their mental health is by drinking water. The body is predominately made up of water and becomes dehydrated with a lack of it. According to the Mayo Clinic, when your body becomes dehydrated it can “drain your body of energy and make you tired.” A study in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition” [qtd. in “Why Students Should Drink Water”], reported that dehydration has the ability to affect cognitive performance and negatively impact short-term memory and attention spans.

Besides the way food affects the way students think and concentrate, food also impacts the view students have of themselves. In the Tufts University study, the way students viewed themselves was also influenced by the way they ate. Thirty-two percent of all students in the study reported having a lower body image upon entering college and 41% reported having a lower level of happiness during their freshman year. Again women’s health was a major finding of the study. It was found 40% of normal weight college women perceived they were overweight. Mental health problems can lead students to become depressed or anxious and act in ways detrimental to their well-being. In a study reported in the ScienceDaily article “Report On Health And Habits Of College Students Released” of 10,000 college students conducted by the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 18.5% of students reported being diagnosed with depression and 13.3% reported being diagnosed with anxiety. To counter the mental health problems students face, many colleges offer students counseling to give students an outlet to help them get them through the stressful times in life.

Food and nutrition is one of the most important parts of a student’s life in college, yet many factors come into play. Factors include the choices of where to eat based upon what surrounds students depending upon their school‘s options and restaurants’ choice locations. Money as well is a factor in student decisions because students tend to not have a lot of money and choose foods that are not the healthiest.  The need to do well in school drives students to choose less healthy food options that have a negative impact on both a student’s physical and mental health. These factors are a concern especially for students at the University of Kentucky because Kentucky is one of the most obese states. Hopefully, by taking advantage of the healthy food and lifestyle options provided by the University of Kentucky students can live healthy lives for years to come, succeed, and not be a part of the poor health trends of college students in the United States.

Works Cited

Ahmed, Ali, Jack Grundy, Asad Jawaid, and Brian Kim. Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2012.

Carter, Rita. “The Brain Diet: Eating the Right Foods Can Improve Your Memory, Lift Your Mood and Help You Concentrate for Longer.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd., 4 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1276881/The-brain-diet-Eating-right-foods-improve-memory-lift-mood-help-concentrate-longer.html&gt;.

“College Students Gain Weight Beyond First Year.” NBCNews.com. NBC, 26 Oct. 2006. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15376644/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/college-kids-gain-weight-beyond-first-year/#.UK90EBiYgSk&gt;.

Dray, Sarah. “Why Students Should Drink Water.” LIVESTRONG.COM. Demand Media, Inc, 23 May 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/449141-why-students-should-drink-water/&gt;.

Ferrara, Cynthia M. “THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, NUTRITION, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERVENTION AND FUTURE RESEARCH.” Journal of Exercise Physiology 12.1 (2009): 23-35. Print.

“Health and Safety for College Students.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/features/collegehealth/&gt;.

Hellmich, Nanci. “USATODAY.com – College Eating Habits Are Clogged with Fat.” USATODAY.com – College Eating Habits Are Clogged with Fat. Gannett Co., Inc., 10 Jan. 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/diet/2002-01-10-college-eating.htm&gt;.

King, Evan. “Students Rely More on Convenience, Price When considering Food Options.” Flor-Ala. Flor-Ala, 17 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.florala.net/news/article_1574daf4-3a21-11e0-8bc5-00127992bc8b.html&gt;.

McIlvain, Gary E. Caffeine Consumption Patterns and Beliefs of College Freshman. Diss. University of Kentucky, 2008. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

“New Report: Kentucky Is Sixth Most Obese State in the Nation.” F as in Fat 2011 Kentucky Press Release. Trust for America’s Health, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/release.php?stateid=KY&gt;.

“Report On Health And Habits Of College Students Released.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 Nov. 2007. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115125827.htm&gt;.

Rogers, Carter. “Nutrition, Academic Performance Linked to Healthy Morning Meal.” Tufts Daily. Tufts University, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tuftsdaily.com/nutrition-academic-performance-linked-to-healthy-morning-meal-1.1872525&gt;.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283&gt;.

“University of Kentucky: Dining Services – Dining Plans.” University of Kentucky: Dining Services – Dining Plans. University of Kentucky, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.uky.edu/DiningServices/diningPlans.html&gt;.

“University of Louisville Dining Services – Meal Plans.” University of Louisville Dining Services – Meal Plans. University of Louisville, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.uofldiningservices.com/plans.html&gt;.

“University of Louisville Dining Services – Meal Plans.” University of Louisville Dining Services – Meal Plans. University of Louisville, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.uofldiningservices.com/plans.html&gt;.

Introduction

Nutrition is an important part of life and especially important in the lives of college students. It is what provides them energy to perform and to be successful in college. However, college students do not always eat the healthiest and do not always choose the best lifestyle options. For your average college student, this is the first time he or she will be making daily decisions without the guidance of parents.  As college students ourselves, we wanted to look at how food plays a role in the lives of University of Kentucky students and students in general. The paper “Dining Services” looks at what colleges and students in Kentucky can do to combat the problem of college students’ poor health decisions. It also compares the food decisions between full and part-time students and the food options provided by a large university in comparison of a small college. The paper “Food’s Impact on University of Kentucky Students and College Students Across America” discusses how the food provided at the University of Kentucky and by restaurants surrounding campus impacts student health and the reasons behind student food decisions. The paper compares the choices of students at the University of Kentucky with students at other colleges in Kentucky and across America.  Hopefully, these papers will bring light to a topic that is not well reported. The health of college students is underreported because other health issues, such as childhood obesity and cancer, overshadow it. It is an important topic because college is a crucial time in a person’s life due to it being a time of maturity and decisions made during it impacts how a person will live their adult life.

 

-Arun Nadar and David Hymes