College. Four years of excitement, independence, parties, and opportunity. It's the "four best years of our lives", right?
In reality, college often does not meet the expectations of incoming students. The unforeseen stresses of difficult schoolwork, forging new friendships, and adjusting to an unfamiliar life away from home deters from the idyllic college experience extolled on T.V. and in the movies. What people often neglect are the roles nutrition and health play in the experience of first-year college students.
College students are extremely prone to developing poor eating habits. This truth is unsettling, as the health behaviors and lifestyle choices developed in college tend to follow people for several years after they graduate. Additionally, many students come to college in a state of financial insecurity or instability after having to pay astronomical tuition expenses. Thus, healthy eating becomes an even lower priority for those students who are constantly haunted by their financial status. Dining halls that maintain stagnant, nutritionally-lacking menus don't help keep these students on track.
Every student entering college for the first time is forewarned about the notorious "Freshman 15". While most college freshman don't necessarily gain an exact 15 pounds, it is a growing trend for students to experience significant weight gain and malnutrition during their first year at college. With expensive, mandatory meal plans and the limited food choices offered at dining halls for first-year students, this trend is not surprising. On this website you will find original research, analysis, and proposals to alter the freshman campus dining experience for the better.
In reality, college often does not meet the expectations of incoming students. The unforeseen stresses of difficult schoolwork, forging new friendships, and adjusting to an unfamiliar life away from home deters from the idyllic college experience extolled on T.V. and in the movies. What people often neglect are the roles nutrition and health play in the experience of first-year college students.
College students are extremely prone to developing poor eating habits. This truth is unsettling, as the health behaviors and lifestyle choices developed in college tend to follow people for several years after they graduate. Additionally, many students come to college in a state of financial insecurity or instability after having to pay astronomical tuition expenses. Thus, healthy eating becomes an even lower priority for those students who are constantly haunted by their financial status. Dining halls that maintain stagnant, nutritionally-lacking menus don't help keep these students on track.
Every student entering college for the first time is forewarned about the notorious "Freshman 15". While most college freshman don't necessarily gain an exact 15 pounds, it is a growing trend for students to experience significant weight gain and malnutrition during their first year at college. With expensive, mandatory meal plans and the limited food choices offered at dining halls for first-year students, this trend is not surprising. On this website you will find original research, analysis, and proposals to alter the freshman campus dining experience for the better.
This is a digital project created in ENG212W with Marc Bousquet in connection with the Domain of One's Own initiative at Emory University. You can learn more about me on my home page.
Header image borrowed from thesituationist.wordpress.com
Header image borrowed from thesituationist.wordpress.com