Many College Students Flunking Eating 101.

7 tips to help college students eat a healthier diet while on campus. To this list I recommend you add ...Juice Plus+

It is not that Fruits and Vegetables are good for you...they can save your life! - Time 2006
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Many College Students Flunking Eating 101.

By Mike Fillon
WebMD Health News

Oct. 14, 1999 (Atlanta) -- Pizza, tacos, burgers, fries, and shakes. Technically they cover all the food groups, but scarfing them down on a steady basis is just not sound nutrition. In a study at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, researchers found that college students were unaware that their dietary habits were so unhealthy. "The problem is that if students think they eat well, they have no reason to change their habits," says study author Linda Stonecipher, an associate professor at the university. She presented the findings at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition in Washington.

In the study, 105 students were asked to estimate the number of servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and grains they ate the previous day using a 10-point scale. Most said their food intake was the same or better than usual. On average, the students reported they ate 1.7 servings of fruit, 2 servings of vegetables, 2.8 servings of dairy products, and 3.8 servings of grains. Stonecipher says that using the recommendations described on the food pyramid created by the federal government, the dairy category was the only one that the students came close to fulfilling.

Students were also asked to evaluate the eating habits of other students. On average, Stonecipher says, most students thought that they ate better than their friends did. "Sadly their perceptions don't equal reality," Stonecipher tells WebMD.
"Eating habits start at a young age," Lonny Horowitz, MD, tells WebMD. "With the proliferation of fast food joints and parents shoving quick meals into the microwave this is what they have learned." Horowitz specializes in treating obesity and eating disorders at four clinics in Atlanta. "It's compounded when they're on their own. They believe it's healthy to eat quick and tasty and heavy on the carbohydrates. After all, that's what they did at home."
Both Stonecipher and Horowitz believe nutrition education should start early. "Also, parents should try to set a good example," Horowitz tells WebMD.

Concern over college eating habits isn't restricted to Western Oregon University. "I think we're representative of students across the country," Stonecipher tells WebMD.

Well aware of the problem, experts at Duke University in Durham, N.C. have compiled a list of tips to help students -- especially for incoming freshmen whom they estimate gain 10 to 20 pounds the first year:

1. Study in the library away from alluring sights and smells of food and socialization.
2. Plan what you are going to eat when you have a study break.
3. Keep tempting high fat, high calorie foods out of your room.
4. If you splurge on a late night meal/snack, cut back on portions for the next day or two.
5. Balance your eating -- don't get mad at yourself.
6. Do not compare yourself to anyone else who may be lucky enough to eat everything they want without gaining an ounce.
7. Take responsibility for your health by eating sensibly without skipping meals and exercising regularly.

Stonecipher says she believes that part of the message college students should receive is that sound eating today is consistent with their long-term goals. "Typically, college students think they're going to live forever," Stonecipher tells WebMD. "It's hard for them to understand that what they do right now will affect the quality of the life they're studying in college for."