Expand / Collapse search
☰
Flood Warning
until SAT 4:00 PM MST, Maricopa County
3
Flood Watch
from SUN 12:00 AM MDT until MON 5:00 AM MST, Chinle Valley, Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas South of Hwy 264, Black Mesa Area, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas Hwy 264 Northward
Flood Watch
from SAT 11:00 PM MST until MON 5:00 AM MST, Northwest Plateau, Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave, North Phoenix/Glendale, Aguila Valley, Mazatzal Mountains, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, San Carlos, East Valley, Northwest Pinal County, Northwest Valley, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Globe/Miami, Deer Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Buckeye/Avondale, Tonto Basin, Rio Verde/Salt River, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Dripping Springs, Southeast Gila County, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, New River Mesa, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, West Pinal County, Superior, Cave Creek/New River, Central Phoenix, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Yavapai County Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Western Mogollon Rim, Coconino Plateau, Yavapai County Valleys and Basins, Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons, Grand Canyon Country, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County, Marble and Glen Canyons, Northern Gila County, White Mountains, Kaibab Plateau, Eastern Mogollon Rim, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County

Poor eating habits in college can lead to long-term health problems, study suggests

By Daniel Miller
FOX TV Digital Team
Health
Updated May 30, 2023 9:22 AM MST Published May 30, 2023 9:10 AM MST
Students-eating-in-the-cafeteria.jpg article

FILE-Students and faculty eat and drink alcoholic beverages at a campus bar at St. Mary's College in St. Mary's City, Maryland. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

College life can be hectic when you factor in classes, work, and extracurricular activities. For many students, this can be overwhelming to the point where quality eating habits are an afterthought. 

A recent study examined a correlation between poor nutrition in college and long-term health issues.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia Okanagan worked with nearly 12,000 medical students from 31 universities in China for the study. 

RELATED: Eating more ultra-processed foods linked to faster cognitive decline, study says

Results from the report revealed that a student diet consisting of high-sugar or high-calorie foods can lead to long-term health problems, including obesity. 

Study authors note that a scarcity of affordable food options for students combined with stress related to college can hurt their nutrition choices. 

Dr. Joan Bottorff, a professor at UBCO’s School of Nursing and a researcher involved in the study, explained in the report that evidence implies that stress and anxiety can cause excessive eating, which could lead to problems like depression. 

RELATED: Eating a healthy diet equivalent to 4,000 more steps a day, study finds

"We know many students consume high-calorie meals along with sugary foods and drinks and there is lots of evidence to show those kinds of eating behaviors can lead to obesity," Bottorff says in a university release. "These are not the only habits that lead to obesity, but they are important and can’t be ruled out."

While researchers point to a need for better food choices for students to enhance their health, Bortoff believes universities have made strides to improve this trend by offering students healthier options in cafeterias and items in vending machines, the study notes. 

This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 


 

HealthEducationU.S.News