Nutrition and College Students Essay -- Teens, Health and Nutrition

All college students have heard of the dreaded â€Å"freshman fifteen.† The majority of students see it as inevitability. This college curse is caused by a drastic change in lifestyle and eating habits. College students are more likely to eat unhealthy food and less likely to exercise. However, steps can be taken to avoid needless weight gain. Despite the hectic lifestyles of teens, they know that a balance of exercise and good nutrition is the key to health. An important factor in having a healthy teenage life is knowing what to limit. According to the Diet and Nutrition Sourcebook, teens should limit junk food, spare the sugar and salt, and shouldn’t drink alcohol. There are many other nutritious snacks that teens can eat instead of eating junk food. For example, fruit or granola bars are a couple of alternatives. Junk food may be something easy to eat on the run with such a busy schedule, but is not always the best thing to eat. Limiting the amount of sugar and salt, which have very little nutritional value, is important for later health (Harris, Diet 113). Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. Too much sugar leads to tooth decay. Alcohol has many calories and minimal nutritional value. Also, teens should not consume alcohol because of the affects it has. A study conducted in 1991 showed that over 10.7 million junior and senior high school students had at least one drink in the past year. It also showed that 8 million students drank weekly and that half a million were binge drinkers. According to Harris, teenage drinking and driving was the cause of 2,800 high school students’ death in 1989. Drinking is not only harmful to a teen’s health, but it also can have deadly consequences. These are just a few ... ...ht measures are taken. Along with sleeping, eating, doing homework, and having a social life college students should be concerned with keeping themselves healthy. Works Cited Berg, Frances M. Children and Teens in Weight Crisis. Hettinger, ND: Healthy Weight Journal, 1995. Calioglu, Arpi. â€Å"Eating Healthy.† Total Health 17 (1995): 42. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Roesch Library, Dayton. 18 Oct. 2002 . Harris, Dan R. Diet and Nutrition Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics 1996. Harris, Dan R. Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics 1996. Oakes, Michael E., and Carole S. Slotterback. â€Å"Nutritional Habits and Motivations to Eat After a Palatable Pre-load.† Current Psychology 19 (2000/2001): 329. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Roesch Library, Dayton October 21, 2002 .