Obesity in College Students

Ashley Scott

Obesity in college

• Obesity in on the rise throughout America, and college students are at risk for developing and maintaining obesity into adulthood.

Obesity in college

• In a national survey three out of ten college students were found to be overweight or obese.

Obesity

• Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30% or above (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).

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Obesity Related Health Problems

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Stroke

• Type II diabetes

• Coronary heart disease

• Respiratory problems

• Cancer

Why are college students gaining weight?

• There are a few theories on why obesity is rising in college students:• College students are leading unhealthier

lifestyles than in the past,• More and more college students are

developing an unhealthy relationship with food.

Poll

How many of you believe you eat the proper servings of

vegetables and fruits daily?

USDA portion recommendations

Unhealthy eating habits

Unhealthy eating habits

• “I try to create a compromise with my patients, swapping pizza for an apple.”

- Jeanette Andrade, Dietician at McKinley Health Center

“Late Night”

Photo courtesy of http://guysandgoodhealth.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/tax-junk-food/

“Late Night”

Photo courtesy of http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/2008/10/10-things-food-industry-doesnt-want-you.html

Unhealthy eating habits

• Patricia Fuchs believes that incoming freshmen weigh more now than in the past, and this is contributing to the rise in obesity on college campuses.

Healthy habits

• Reducing consumption of carbonated and high-sugar beverages,

• Reducing consumption of foods high in sugar content,

• Eating more fruits and vegetables,

• Monitoring proportions, and

• Drinking more water (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).

Unhealthy relationships with food

• Psychological influences are one of the leading causes of obesity today in adolescents (Sparling, 2007).

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Psychological impact of obesity

• Damaging to a person’s self-esteem.

Unhealthy relationships with food

• A survey conducted found that individuals who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop “distorted eating behaviors and perceptions” (Desai, M. N., Miller, W. C., Staples, B., & Bravender, T., 2008).

Conclusion

• Obesity can cause many health risks.

• College students are gaining weight because of unhealthy eating habits.

• College students are gaining weight because of unhealthy relationships with food.