Super Size Me

With obesity being such a prevalent issue in this nation, it is not shocking that it is partly due to astronomically large portion sizes. The Journal of Consumer Affairs published an article that researched the perception of portion sizes among college students. A sample from a small college in Maryland were required to pour a typical serving of cereal they would pour themselves and then try to pour the serving size listed on the nutritional panel. They were then required to perform the same procedure using M&M’s.

It was discovered that only 2% of the sample consumed 90%-110% of the standard serving size of cereal. One-third of the sample consumed at least twice the standard serving size. With the M&M’s, 10% of the participants ate the amount close to the serving size. More than one-third ate at least twice the standard serving size. 71% of the males and 91% of the females reported paying attention to some parts of the nutrition labels. Interestingly, 88% of the students believed that the dining halls contributed to them taking larger portions.

As I mentioned in my first post, I think UNH does a great job in communicating with the students what lies in all the foods we are consuming. I really hope that more and more colleges jump on the bandwagon of posing the nutrition facts next to all of their foods. UNH also has different events and demonstrations from time to time in all of our dining locations to help students prepare and incorporate healthier foods in their diets. If you aren’t a student at UNH but are interested in your nutrition, I challenge you to try and contact your dining services and see if you can reach out to the student community.

Obesity is a serious issue and although there are major strides being accomplished at the public school level from grade levels K through 12, I still think more could be done at the college level. If you’re wondering if you knowledge on portion size is the ballpark or completely out of range, take this quiz! So next time you’re at the dining hall or preparing food at your apartment, take the extra time to look at what exactly constitutes as being a portion. If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you’ll be very surprised.

The Truth Behind Supplements

Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is usually a major obstacle while being a college student. Therefore, it is not shocking to hear that students nation wide are taking some sort of medication to make up for the vitamins and minerals they are not attaining through their diet. In simpler terms, more and more students are choosing to take a dietary supplement such as “Centrum” or “One-a-Day.” The Journal of Nutrition Education performed a study where they looked at how many students take a supplement and for what reason.

Notable results:
– 37% of students report taking a dietary supplement weekly of daily
– Most popular vitamins/minerals: calcium, vitamin E, and vitamin C
– Significantly more users than nonusers believed that food supplements increased pep and energy, reduced stress, were necessary to ensure proper nutrition, were needed if people felt tired and run down, and that vitamin C could prevent colds.

However, what most students and even the general population are not aware of is unless you are deficient in a particular vitamin/mineral, there is no concrete scientific evidence that promotes the use of dietary supplements. For example, it makes sense of pregnant women to take a folic acid supplement because folate is an imperative vitamin that helps the baby develop in the first trimester. I believe that one of the most common reasons as to why people are taking these supplements is because their physician recommeneded it. Unforunately, some physicians are very “pill-oriented” and believe there is a medication that can fix 90% of all problems. As someone studying nutrition, this is very frustrating to myself because we can attain all of the vitamins that are in these supplements through the diet and it is much more affordable.

Here is a video that has reiterated these beliefs and presents some other useful information.

Vodka Over Vegetables?

It’s no hidden fact that consuming vast amounts of alcohol on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights contributes to a wasted intake of calories. However, some college students, particularly young freshmen women, are going to great extremes to avoid the extra calories. Some may advice students to simply not drink as much but unfortunately, college students around the nation are limiting the amount of calories they consume in their daily meals to allow them to drink more alcohol. This popular rationale is known among college campuses as “drunkorexia.” The Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education took it upon themselves to research this prevalent life-threatening issue.

Most people who have been able to take a nutrition class know that to slow down the effects of alcohol, one must have food in their stomach. This in turn slows down the rate at which the alcohol reaches the small intestine for a majority of the absorption. However, with no food, people can feel the effects very fast. In this study, 14% of first year students reported restricting calorie consumption prior to drinking alcohol. Out of the 14%, 6% claimed they did this to avoid weight gain and 10% stated they were interested in enhancing the alcohol’s effect. Although 14% does not seem like a large percentage, imagine how many students that would be at UNH. A typical freshmen class here at UNH ranges between 3000-3200 students. If 14% decided to partake in “drunkorexia” that would equate to 448 students. I personally think that is outrageous. Now although this study is not representative of the UNH population, it is relevant and should be taken seriously.

Being a freshmen in college and living away from home for the first time is something most haven’t experienced. With that, it is inevitable that students would want to push the limits and stay out as late as they wanted. However, I think what isn’t too clear to them is the long-term effects of how the alcohol is destroying their body. Sure, by restricting calories students put themselves at risk for blacking out and not being able to recall events during the night, but they also risk developing nutrient deficiencies, traumatic brain injuries, and kills brain cells that are responsible for future learning.

Now with all of these depressing facts, what can be done? First and formost, educate yourself. A great resource open for students here at UNH is Health Services. The Health Services website is filled with information about substance and alcohol abuse. This website is fantastic and provides links to topics from the science based rationale of how our bodies react with alcohol to low-risk drinking and even alcohol free related events on campus. Now, if you aren’t student at UNH, that’s totally okay! Check out the tips in site I have provided and try investigating what your campus has to offer as far as alcohol free events or anything else you may be interested in. Secondly, if you find yourself restricting calories in order to drink more, take a moment and ask yourself why. Is it because you are stressed? Or maybe you can’t get to the gym with the amount of schoolwork that has been piling up? I totally understand that, but I have personally found that if I plan out my days, it is very hard for me to deviate from my schedule. Try planning when you’re going to go to the gym or complete all your homework because honestly, your body is the last thing that should suffer from a decrease of essential nutrients.

Bring On the Whole Grains

Believe it or not, college students who consume more whole grains on a regular basis tend to have a lower BMI. A study conducted by the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute researched this exact speculation. The average intake of grains in general was 5.4 servings per day but whole grains accounted for a mere .7 of this value. Dietary Guidelines recommend that 50% of a person’s daily intake of grains should be from whole grains. Clearly, the average college student does not meet this mark.

So how do we improve upon this? Unfortunately, the way foods list their ingredients can be very difficult to infer and even more complicated when it comes to the type of grain used in foods. What you want to look for is a food that says “whole wheat, whole grain.” It is imperative that you see the words “whole grain” on the list as you will reap the maximum benefit. The whole grain means the complete kernel was used as opposed to refined grains which removes the essential bran and germ. Next time your at the grocery store or eating in the dining hall, try to use whole grain bread, tortillas, or rolls. MyPyramid gives a complete list of what products use whole grain as opposed to refined. Recently, foods that are whole grains have a specific stamp on the package to help decipher them from other products. This corporation is called the Whole Grain Council and provided on the website is a whole section of specific brands of foods that have this seal. These foods range from granola bars to pizza to even beverages! The site even notes how many grams of whole grain is present in the food.

Obviously college can be quite stressful and paying very close attention to every single crumb we put into our mouths can easily become overlooked. However, the resources are at our fingertips and with the new marketing tools being incorporated onto the packages, it makes it a bit easier to make more informed decisions.

Obesity by the Forkfull

Has it ever crossed your mind that the incidence of obesity differs between students who live off-campus rather than in on campus residential halls? Well, a study recently done by a research journal called Appetite, looked at the eating habits of students from both groups. It was concluded that off campus students were more likely to be overweight/obese, consume more alcohol, and smoke than those who lived on campus. Those who lived on campus consumed a larger variety of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
More specifically, those who lived on campus ate more green, leafy vegetables, fruit juice, and grains.

It’s definitely a much different lifestyle when living on campus as opposed to off. Not only do off campus students have the constant stress of completing assignments and going to class, but they also have to go home and cook a nutritious meal. Obviously, college students are most inclined to turn to the cheap, low-maintenance food. Unfortunately, the food that matches these characteristics are usually high in salt, fat, and/or carbohydrates. What’s my advise? If financially possible, buy a meal plan that has a lower amount of swipes. Therefore, on those really busy and hectic days, you can still intake all the nutrients that are imperative to your well-being. If that isn’t possible, think about subscribing to a cooking magazine or peruse cooking websites for helpful recipes.

Some magazines/websites even provide a grocery list of what to buy when going shopping. Some of my favorite resources are Rachael Ray’s Magazine and The Food Network website.

So if you find yourself compromising your health and well-being for more time to study, partake in extracurricular activities, or just because you don’t know where to start, check out the two links above! And more importantly, don’t be another statistic!

Red Bull Gives You…Wings?

During our college years, many students turn to energy drinks for a variety of reasons. Some merely like the taste while others consume them to stay awake during studying. However, of these students, the majority does not understand the adverse side effects of the various beverages. The amount of caffeine added to these drinks can lead to insomnia, nervousness, headache, and even seizures. Although the worser effects usually don’t happen, it’s scary to think that there is potential for a seizure to occur. A study performed by the Nutrition Journal, researchs the risk factors associated with energy drink consumption in college students. Unfortunately, I can only find a link to the abstract and if you want to view the article in its entirity, it will charge you. However, I located the article before they began charging readers and can give a more thorough synopsis of the results.

Notable Results:
-60% of participants first used these drinks during their college years
-37% of non-users reported not having a particular reason for not trying these drinks
-40% of all current users consume them to mix with alcohol
-51.7% of current consumers prefer Red Bull over any other brand
-34.4% of participants learned about the health hazards associated with energy drinks through classes in school

Unfortunately, minimal studies have been conducted on the long-term health effects of energy-drink consumption by college students. However, based on the immediate results, long term effects cannot be favorable. I think one major step in trying to educate the young students around the world of the riskiness of consuming energy drinks is to introduce it to middle and high school health classes. By notifying them of these serious risks, it could help decrease the amount of students who use them. I see many students around UNH who drink Red Bull or Monster while drinking hard liquor and it makes me wonder if they really know what they’re doing to their bodies. Sure, Red Bull may “give you wings” for those 6 hours on a late Friday or Saturday night, but in the long run, it’s probably destroying your body from the inside out.

So the next time you find yourself cramming for an exam into the wee hours of the night or simply just need a boost of energy, try to fight the urge of reaching for that liquidized chemical drink and look for a more healthy and satisfying alternative.

Trade in the Cow for Some Soy!

On average, college students nation wide are not receiving enough vitamin D through their diet. As you may know, vitamin D is essential to form and maintain strong bones. Unfortunately, food groups that have high vitamin D content, such as milk, are very appealing to college students. A study performed by “Nutrition Research”, examined 52 college students from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and their vitamin D and calcium intake. It was thought by researchers that soymilk that has been fortified with these two vitamins may increase their intake because of its greater availability and acceptability.

Participants of the study completed a 20 question survey regarding dietary and lifestyle factors that affect bone development and maintenance. The students were also required to keep a 3-day dietary record for 2 “typical” weekdays and 1 weekend day. They were then given an opportunity to taste-test three different flavors of soymilk (chocolate, vanilla, and plain). From the study, it was seen that 71% of the students do not meet the Adequate Intake (AI) of calcium or vitamin D. However, 65% said they would like to see soymilk become available in the dining halls. It was then determined that the majority of women do not meet the AI level for vitamin D because of caloric restrictions and the taste of milk.

Personally, I cannot relate to this study at all because ever since I was a baby, I have loved milk. In fact, I would wake up countless times during the night and cry until my parents would refill my bottle. However, I have many friends who do not drink milk but will drink soymilk. One reason I think soymilk is a great alternative to drinking cow’s milk is because as stated in the study, soymilk contains phytoestrogens which play a role in maintaining bone mineral. It also contains isoflavones which haven been shown to be more effective than milk protein in maintaining bone mass in postmenopausal women. Fortunately for students at UNH, we have the option of drinking soymilk and attaining these essential vitamins through the diet. Without calcium and vitamin D, we put ourselves at risk for developing osteoporosis and other health-related problems down the road. So in all seriousness, DRINK UP!

No Dining Plan? No Problem

So my previous blogs have been strictly geared towards students who have a dining plan on campus. What about those other students who live off campus and/or are expected to make their own meals? Well, I have some good news!

A study recently completed by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, assesses the “Impact of TV Cooking Show[s] for College Students Living Off Campus.” A university in the western part of the United States assigned 114 students to viewing four 15-minute cooking programs, entitled Good Grubbin, over a 4-week period. These students were then contacted 4 months after their viewing of the show and asked to complete a final assessment of the study. Seeing as adequate intake of fruits and vegetables is problem among college students, the main focus of the survey was resulted in questions regarding fruit and vegetable intake. Although there was a change in knowledge with regard to dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetables, there was no significant change in the intake of the food groups or cooking patterns. This was rather disappointing to surveyors but they received positive feedback from the program. One student was quoted in saying “Since watching Good Grubbin’ I have been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet. When I go to the grocery store to buy food, I am more conscious about the types of items I am picking out.”

Although not addressed in the study, I find that the sample size of students surveyed was too small. From a personal standpoint, UNH has a total of 15,000 students (13,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduates) and I don’t think taking a 100 student sample would be representative of the student population. However, there may have been underlying causes for choosing a smaller sample such as cost and overall convenience.

Even though the study wasn’t “statistically significant” in proving that Good Grubbin’ can help off-campus students consume more fruits and vegetables, I think the student responses must be taken into consideration. It is comforting to learn that at least one student was positively affected by this study as represented by his/her comment.

The grocery store can be a very overwhelming place and although I don’t live off campus and cook a majority of my food, I will have that responsibility in a few short months. I think it’s very important for universities to help educate those who don’t know anything about cooking. Here at UNH, one our dining halls invited students to a cooking demonstration and it was free of cost! This program was put on by Health Services and although it was limited to a certain number of students, it’s still a wonderful opportunity to people who want to gain more knowledge on how to prepare meals. Another thing I love about UNH dining is their webpage. They have a great resources page which can addresses an array of topics such as portion sizes, sample meal photos, and “healthy spending.” Healthy spending is a page long description on how to survive grocery shopping and tips on making smart choices.

How about you? Does your university help educate their off-campus residents?

The Freshmen 15; No Dining Plan Necessary

So we all know that one thing incoming freshmen all look forward to is freedom; freedom to stay out late, to sleep for obscene amounts of time, and to eat virtually whatever we want. On the same note, the amount of food that not only freshmen, but all grades bring is teetering on the category of excessive. Cases of various beverages such as water, gatorade, and soda are not uncommon to see being lugged through dormitory doors. If someone had measured the quantity of food I brought, they would most likely assume I didn’t plan on seeing the inside of a dining hall for months.

A study recently conducted by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined the amount of calories that reside in rooms of college students. They surveyed 100 undergraduate students (51.5% women and 43.2%) with 85% of the students currently on a university meal plan of >14 meals per week.

Here are the results:

– Average number of food & beverage items: 47 (range 0-208; 4% having no food or beverages)
– Average number of calories/room: 22,888 kcals
– More than 70% of students had the following type of items: salty snacks, cereal/granola bars, main entrees, desserts/candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages

With an average of 22,888 kcals in each dorm, that’s supplying each student with approximately 11 days worth of calorie needs based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Is that not crazy or what? It’s mind-boggling to think that they have all of these snacks, still have a meal plan, yet some people don’t understand why the average freshman gains 15lbs while in his/her first year of college. However, what this study does not address is how often the food is replenished. I think this could have a dramatic impact on how people perceive the results because if the food is intended to last for months, then maybe it is reasonable. The study was done in February, a time when students are just returning from winter break, so they are inevitabley going to have more food then than in May.

All of this set aside, I still think that we as college students need to take a close look at the amount of food we are bringing to school. At UNH, the most basic meal plan is $3,524 for the whole academic year and the real kicker is that it’s completely unlimited! I can swipe into any of the 3 dining halls as many times a day as I want. Now, I completely understand that it’s nice to have those home-baked cookies or some snacks to enjoy between classes, but is it really necessary to almost 23,000 kcals worth of snacks available 24/7?

From Sushi to Hamburgers…

I was thumbing through different articles about college students and found one that instantly caught my eye. It is entitled “Asian students change their eating patterns after living in the United States” and after thinking about the content for a couple of minutes, I finally concluded that this really isn’t all that surprising.

This study consisted of 120 from colleges and universites across the nation who were born in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, or Korea. All participants were required to have lived in the United States for at least 3 months before the study. Some of the results that were found included, 62% students reported a gain of about 5lbs after immigrating, the number of meals consumed had significantly decreased, and 57% of students were consuming more American-style foods such as pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches when eating out rather than traditional Asian meals.

I personally think that the selection of food choices is so overwhelming that any immigrant would be enticed to try anything and everything. However, most “American-style” food such as the loaded triple stacker and greasy french fries don’t help students maintain a well-balanced diet. Although this may be a long shot, I think we as a nation need to try and re-define what American food truly is. Being an immigrant can’t be easy and trying to navigate a completely no world has to be overwhelming. Should we really be putting the pressure of trying to eat well on these student’s plates as well? I know that the United States isn’t completely to blame and that everyone should take account for their actions, but I think it would be beneficial for these students to become educated on the types of things they’re putting into their bodies.