Author Biography

Kelsey Vest is a sophomore at Utah State University. She was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, and is proud to be a Texan. She is currently studying dietetics and hopes to use her knowledge of food later in life to influence and help those around her. Kelsey works part-time and attends school full-time. She also loves to serve in the Cache Valley Community and does this through her position as an assistant meal coordinator for the organization Loaves and Fishes. 

This essay was composed in November 2022 and uses MLA documentation.

FINALS WEEK ROLLS AROUND AT Utah State University, and nearly every student on campus has their head buried in a textbook. Their eyes stay transfixed on the bright screen of their laptop, attempting to remember everything that has been taught over the past five months. Sitting in one of the university dining halls, I identify a specific type of studying. This type remains in the same chair they have occupied for the last six hours. One hand subconsciously picks at their seventh plate of food. As I check in with friends during this busy week, I hear of another type of studying. This type has eaten approximately three meals in the last two days, and their mental and physical health steadily declines. Instead of causing these individuals to binge eat food to relieve stress, this stress causes them to forget to eat. In both situations, I have found that stress and eating habits significantly impact college and university students. Utah State University should educate its students on stress management to combat the adverse effects of poor eating habits. It will improve eating habits, nutrition, mental health, and academic performance.

Humans need food to function. In the ideal situation, mealtimes remain regular, schedules stay consistent, and access to healthy dietary options exists for everyone. Sadly, we do not live in this happy-eating reality. As a university student, I know that these intense years of education remain notorious for being busy. This busyness leads to a skyrocket in stress and anxiety, and with these increased levels of stress and anxiety, eating habits get thrown into the wind. When eating is essential to perform both physically and mentally, many students either ignore their hunger signals or overindulge in a manner that helps them cope with stress. Utah State University offers many resources to combat this stress, which are free to students. Humans need food to function. In the ideal situation, mealtimes remain regular, schedules stay consistent, and access to healthy dietary options exists for everyone. Sadly, we do not live in this happy-eating reality. Though they are free, these resources remain generally unknown among students. I know that these resources have the potential to benefit thousands of students if they only knew about them. To bring this information forward, the Utah State University Connections course, which is designed for incoming students, should devote time to discussing the importance of the many resources available and how to effectively cope with stress and eating habits.

Eating habits among college students tend to be associated with what students find comfort in eating. Students gravitate towards foods that are safe and enjoyable for them, even though they know that these foods may not be the healthiest option. According to Robin L. Porter, president of an independent food consulting business allied with over seventy colleges, “[Students] may be more health conscious, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re eating healthy….They talk the talk, but don’t really walk the walk – French fries outsell apples by thousands and thousands of pounds” (qtd. in Farrell). I have observed this trend firsthand working for USU (Utah State University) Dining Services at one of the major dining halls on campus. Working there, I have seen evidence of the remarkable number of French fries and hamburgers students eat compared to the healthier options of salad or cooked vegetables. The line for the grill is always longer than any other line. A study conducted among university students in China, published in the Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, found high levels of food neophobia among the students. Food neophobia is a persistent reluctance to eat new foods. The study suggests that a way to overcome or relieve food neophobia can be through setting up nutrition courses (Tian and Chen). To remove this atmosphere of “comfort” eating instead of healthy eating among its students, Utah State University can include instruction in the USU Connections course.

Access to nutritious food options plays a large role in the eating habits of college students, and Utah State University provides many different resources that provide students with access to healthy food. Utah State University food pantry, Student Nutrition Access Center or SNAC, aims to reduce the amount of food insecurity on campus. Even though this resource is provided, researchers found that “less than a third of food insecure [students] knew about the pantry, and of those, only half used it” (Munson). These resources are not being utilized because students don’t know about them, and many who do know about them are worried about how they will be judged for using them. In other universities, grants are offered for student emergency funds, but students find filling out the form to be too daunting. Food pantries are commonly available in most colleges or universities in America, Facebook groups are made to eliminate food waste, and gift cards are often given to students who seek help with food support (Kolowich). These resources remain readily available and at hand to help eliminate stress, creating a better university experience for students who take advantage of them. With these resources, students do not have to continually worry about where they are going get their next meal and if that meal will be enough to sustain them. Universities care about their students, and they show that care through the programs they provide. The resources are available, but are students being educated about them?

Students are told about the different health resources given to them on USU’s campus, but that doesn’t mean they remember the one time that they were informed, especially when it is included in a barrage of other information. From my experience in the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Department, I have gained more exposure and education about the different resources available to aid in coping with food insecurity and stress. However, most students are not given the same education. To help their students, “colleges have responded by hiring more dietitians and nutritionists and going to greater lengths to provide students with information about the caloric and fat content of the food they eat” (Farrell). Availability has increased, but education or information about eating and stress-related resources are not as publicized. According to a study done among undergraduate and graduate students in the Public Health Nutrition Journal, many were unaware of their food insecurity. The study recommends campuses address and educate students on food insecurity as a public health issue (Coffino et al.). When students are more educated about food availability, they no longer consistently worry about food. That gives students one less item to stress about. To accomplish this increase in resource education, information regarding resources available to college students needs to become more common and well-known. Resources need to be discussed more, and hopefully, this discussion will reach those who are in need, such as individuals of a lower socio-economic status.

Food insecurity is an aspect of life that affects eating habits of students. Kristen Munson, a writer for the Utah State Magazine, described a study that found that “32 percent of Aggies are food insecure, meaning they have insufficient access to nutritious foods” (Munson). And while 32 percent makes up a large portion of Utah State, it doesn’t stop there. Food insecurity is sweeping the world. Steve Kolowich shares in the 2015 article “How Many College Students Are Going Hungry?” stories of students describing friends “passing out in academic buildings after skipping meals; eating cereal three times a day,” and “planning their schedules around when a local grocery store sets out free cheese samples” (Kolowich). “32 percent of Aggies are food insecure, meaning they have insufficient access to nutritious foods” (Munson). These examples sound like situations that I have experienced during my time at Utah State. Students often do not have the time or the money to shop for food. When food-insecure students don’t know where their next meal is coming from, stress increases.

Many underlying factors influence eating behaviors and stress, including money, socioeconomic status, gender, and many others. Money continues to be a primary cause of food insecurity. Students who come from low-income families do not have the same opportunities that students from moderate-income families or high-income families have. Many of these students pay for tuition and housing, and most financially struggling students have part- or full-time jobs during the school year to afford food. If funds are low, students will skip meals or find food in other locations, and oftentimes this food will not be nutritious. In a previously mentioned article by Steve Kolowich, he states, “When money gets tight, food is often the first expense to go” (Kolowich). He later shares that students feel shame when they must ask for help. This feeling of embarrassment and shame plays a role in self-confidence, and when people do not speak up, the problem does not get solved.

Food insecurity continues to rise among low-income families, but it also remains prevalent among other populations. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that “high levels of perceived stress were associated with unhealthy eating behaviors among women college students” (Carr et al.). Another study consisting of predominately women and Hispanic populations found that diet quality was affected by adverse mental health and eating behaviors (Coccia and Jeune). These studies show that many different populations of college and university students are affected by food insecurity, unhealthy eating habits, and stress, and each of these struggles needs to be addressed for the health and safety of college students.

Both stress and eating habits influence each other. When I am stressed, I forget to eat because I am focused on other things. Either nothing seems appetizing, nothing feels right, or I just don’t have time to buy food and make it. Other times when I eat unhealthily, my body decides to revolt. It chooses to be immensely picky about what I can and cannot eat. It only accepts healthy options, but when those are limited due to time and money, I can’t cope with my eating habits the way I need to, and my stress levels rise. Emotions have a lot to do with eating habits. To cope with the emotional overload of stress, students often turn to food. In an article titled “Stress, a Factor in Student’s Bad Eating Habits” by Artis P. Grady and Rea Gubler, the authors analyze emotional eating when they explain, “By making [students] aware of the connection between their eating and their emotions and circumstances, we can begin instilling in young people the importance of recognizing their stressors and addressing them with healthy coping strategies” (Grady and Gubler 8). A key stressor for university students involves focusing on high academic performance. Worrying over exams, projects, and overall grades has a major effect on students. Healthy coping strategies such as intuitive eating, which involves being cognizant of the body’s hunger signals, can help students control their emotional food cravings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is “evidence of a significant association between academic grades and dietary behaviors” (“Dietary Behaviors”). This association explains that grades have a significant impact on stress and eating. If students had a clear understanding of the major relationship between emotions, eating, and stress, academic performance would likely increase. In response to this, unhealthy emotional eating practices would decrease around campus, or at least students would recognize these issues. It remains the student’s responsibility to use the information provided effectively.

To combat stress and its association with eating habits, Utah State University and its students would benefit if information regarding resources, stress, eating habits, and coping mechanisms had a broader reach. Resources are already widely available, but if students never take the initiative to use them, very little will be accomplished. Others may say that directly teaching students this information will do little to solve the issue. It remains a personal choice whether to use the resources provided. Many believe that the responsibility for taking care of oneself, and learning how to eat healthily, rests on the shoulders of the individual. Resources are already widely available, but if students never take the initiative to use them, very little will be accomplished. Even if students are well informed, this may not mean that they will choose to eat healthily. As was previously mentioned by Robin L. Porter, students often know what is healthy and good for them, but they choose not to live that way. Instead, they address the issue but never commit to healthy eating. Even though personal choice plays a large role in the effectiveness of the individual’s education on these issues, informing students continues to be one of the best ways to solve stress and poor eating habits. In a study conducted on a university campus, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, only thirteen percent of students were using campus or community resources to access food (Oo et al.). If the university provided education on various food resources, the number of resource users has the potential to rise. Utah State University can implement a discussion, training, or lesson on the correlation between proper stress management and eating habits in their USU 1010 Connections course offered to all incoming students. This extra education would jumpstart the students on a road to success during their college experience.

Many varying factors influence how college students eat. Some of these factors include money, socioeconomic status, race, accessibility to food, and stress. Eating habits could include skipping meals, eating where food is provided, over-eating, and an abundance of other habits. Stress can influence how much individuals choose to eat, or eating can influence the stress an individual feels. Utah State University can combat these issues by helping students receive more education on the resources available to them both mentally and physically. They can provide education to assist students in combatting stress, or they may leave students in ignorance and defeat. In the end, what will students choose, the apple or the French fries?

Work Cited

Carr, J., et al. “Relationships of Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors with Perceived Stress Among Women College Students.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, vol. 121, no. 10, Oct. 2021, p. A155. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/j.jand.2021.08.095. Accessed 26 Nov. 2022.

Coccia, C., and S. Jeune. “The Healthy Eating Index and Its’ Association Between Mental Health and Eating Behaviors in College Students.”  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, vol. 122, no. 9, Sept. 2022, p. A27. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/j.jand.2021.08.095. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Coffino, Jaime A., et al. “Food Insecurity among Graduate Students: Prevalence and Association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress.” Public Health Nutrition, vol. 24, no. 7, May 2021, pp. 1889-94. EBSCOhost, https://doi-or.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1017/S1368980020002001. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

“Dietary Behaviors and Academic Grades.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/health_and_academics/health_academics_dietary.htm. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Farrell, Elizabeth F. “Students Won’t Give Up Their French Fries.” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 48, no. 44, 12 July 2002, p. A35. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.dist.lib.usu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=7007518&site=ehost-live. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Grady, Artis P., and Rea Gubler. “Stress a Factor in Students’ Bad Eating Habits.” Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, vol. 85, no. 8, Nov. 2010, pp. 8-10. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.dist.lib.usu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=55415135&site=ehost-live. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Kolowich, Steve. “How Many College Students Are Going Hungry?” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no.11, 13 Nov. 2015, p. 7. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.dist.lib.usu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=110915083&site=ehost-live. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Munson, Kristen. “Food Insecurity Hits Home.” Utah State Magazine, 19 Dec. 2010, https://utahstatemagazine.usu.edu/health/food-insecurity-hits-home/. Accessed 6 November 2022.

Oo, Kendra, et al. “O16 Farm-to-Fork on a College Campus: Evaluating Impact of Free Weekly Meals on Dietary Habits and Meal Planning Behaviors.” Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, vol. 52, no. 7, July 2020, p. S8. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/j.jneb.2020.04.028. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

Tian, Hua, and Jie Chen. “Food Neophobia and Intervention of University Students in China.” Food Science & Nutrition, vol. 9, no. 11, Nov. 2021, pp. 6224-31. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1002/fsn3.2575. Accessed 26 Nov. 2022.