Do Fad Diets Really Work?

By Amy Lakey

Losing weight is exceedingly difficult and if you do lose weight, maintaining it is much harder. Today one of the main ways to lose weight is to diet because our nutrition can affect our overall health and weight. Which is why dieting is so popular, but do they work? You may be aware of some diets such as the Keto-diet, Whole 30, the Atkins diet, and many others. Diets that are all over mainstream media, with how popularized they are, they don’t work long-term, and just teach you bad information and habits.  

What are Fad Diets? 

I have always known diets to be a way of managing one’s weight, a method to lose weight. A fad diet is a dieting plan that promises quick results, this is what attracts consumers, they are looking for a quick and easy fix to their problem and these diets promise that. Almost all fad diets have one thing in common, you consume fewer calories. This is the secret to what makes them “work.” Which is why they are widely advertised on social media.  

It is often that the most extreme diets are the ones that get the most attention. For example, I have seen a lot about the Keto-diet, when one removes any form of carb from your diet, making it so that all you are eating is protein, fruits and vegetables, and dairy. Simple enough, but I don’t think removing a whole food group from your diet is overtly beneficial to your overall health. Even a wellness dietitian, Mary Candon, does not entirely suggest this, “More often than not, it’s not sustainable. Oftentimes weight gain may come back, and you’ll gain more than what you lost.” While the Keto-diet is simple, others are a lot more complicated.  

Photo By Health Guide 

Photo By Dr. Lam Coaching 

There is a lesser-known diet that focuses on types of food combinations that are slightly more complex than the Keto diet. It is the food combinations diet that encourages you to stay away from certain food groups that you might eat together like meat and carbs, but carbs and vegetables are acceptable. The reasoning behind this is that due to the acidity of our stomach, it can digest certain combinations better than others, so it should promote better gut health in theory. Although there is no actual research that proves this to be true or to even promote weight loss. So, with a wide range of diets that you could try, how would you go about choosing one? I would suggest not choosing any popular diet and you will see why in the next section.  

Diets Do Not Work in the Long Run.  

In the last section, I mentioned that fad diets were just for a quick fix, meaning that they never work long-term. Most diets are about cutting down on your caloric intake, you will see that you are losing weight if you stick to it, even for a week. Especially if you are using more energy than you are taking in. Although depending on your diet, you may also be cutting out an important food group, like a macronutrient (carbs, protein, and fat) for example you would cut down/out carbs for the Keto-diet. Which is not the best information to be teaching individuals. 

There are many reasons why you should not cut out any macronutrients. Each one is important for your body’s overall health and ability to function. If you cut out carbohydrates, you cut your body’s main source of energy. This will leave you feeling fatigued and just feeling off. So, it is easy to not stick with something that is not making you feel the best, I know I would not. Therefore, people jump from diet to diet, looking for one that works for them and does not require a lot of maintenance, although that is difficult because everyone is different and different thing work for different people.  

Let us say you do find one that works for you, you stick with it for a couple of weeks and weigh yourself regularly, you are losing weight and starting to feel good about yourself. Then after a couple of months, you stop seeing as much progress, maybe you started gaining that weight back, and you are feeling weaker than ever. Why is that? This is because a calorie deficit needs to be accompanied by some form of physical exercise. If you are just in a calorie deficit for a month, the only weight you are losing is mainly water weight, muscle, and little fat. In losing all this energy and muscle, your body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreases as well, which is where much of our energy is spent. When this decreases, your energy expenditure decreases, meaning you need fewer calories to maintain your body’s functions. Then your energy expenditure starts to match your energy intake, which is why you stop seeing progress, you may even start gaining your weight back, that weight mainly being fat now. Therefore, many people do not maintain the weight they lose. 

Best way to lose and maintain weight 

Although everyone’s body is different it is important to know how nutrition and exercise can benefit your health. I would say the best possible combination is getting enough macronutrients to suit your body’s needs (slight excess to gain muscle weight or a slight deficit to lose weight) and exercising a regular amount to help lose that weight and gain more muscle. The food you eat should be generally healthy, I would stay away from overly processed foods and foods that have a lot of added sugars. These foods are not necessarily bad for you, yet in excess they are not good for your health. A good rule of thumb to follow is “everything in moderation,” because too much of anything can be a bad thing. As for exercise, it does not even have to be you going to the gym, I have found that even walking is a great form of exercise, just anything that gets you moving, and your heart racing will be enough. This together will also help slightly raise your BMR over time and help you steadily gain or lose weight. I can guarantee after just a week of healthy balanced eating and regular exercise you will start to feel much better. And if you find a system that works for you, removing foods that do not make you feel good and exercising, you will begin to see positive results slowly over time. While the slow way is not the most preferred, weight maintenance is more guaranteed than using fad diets, because they do not work, and just teach you bad information and habits.  

Life Application at CSU 

As a college student, you have probably heard of the “Freshman 15,” the belief that students will gain about 15 pounds within their first few semesters at college. This may be because of highly processed and fatty foods in the dining halls and/or the stress that comes with being a newly independent adult. To prevent this, some may look to dieting. While this may be effective for a brief period of time, we see now that this will not work in the long term. Do not focus on dieting, focus on your eating habits, develop healthy eating habits. Stay away from overly processed foods and try to eat fresh food as much as possible. Students even have access to the Recreation Center, so use it to the best of your ability. Walk or bike around campus instead of driving or taking an Electric scooter. If you stay active and eat healthy you will easily avoid the “Freshman 15.” 

About the Author 

My name is Amy Lakey. I am a current student at Colorado State University, majoring in Health and Exercise Science and I am a part of the Honors Program. As a part of the Honors Program, I am currently in a class called “You Are What You Eat” which is focused on how food fits into every part of our daily lives and how it affects our environment, and the significance it has in everyone’s lives. I am also enrolled in a nutrition class as a part of my major, in which we briefly went over fad diets. This struck my interest and made me want to learn more. I believe it is important to educate those around me on this topic and share what I have learned.  

Works Cited 

Alexander, H. (2020, June 5). What are macronutrients? MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/what-are-macronutrients-.h15-1593780.html  

Barnes, Z. (2018, January 5). Registered dietitians explain why eating ‘everything in moderation’ is harder than it sounds. SELF. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from https://www.self.com/story/eating-everything-in-moderation  

Braun, A. (2022, February 18). What is the keto diet, and should you follow it? Ro. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://ro.co/health-guide/what-is-the-keto-diet/ 

British Heart Foundation. (2015, September 12). 5 of the most extreme diets (and what they could do to your body). BHF. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/weight/diets/extreme-diets  

Cotnoir, N. (2021, March 17). Should you cut out an entire food group or macronutrient to lose weight? The Training Lab LLC. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.thetraininglabllc.com/post/should-you-cut-out-an-entire-food-group-or-macronutrient-to-lose-weight  

Goldman, L. (2020). Basal metabolic rate. Basal Metabolic Rate – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/basal-metabolic-rate  

Heaney, J. (1970, January 1). Energy: Expenditure, intake, lack of. SpringerLink. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_454  

Helms, N. (2019, June 20). Is the keto diet safe? what are the risks? Is the Keto Diet Safe? What are the Risks? – UChicago Medicine. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/ketogenic-diet-what-are-the-risks 

Lam, M., & Lam, D. (2016, June 19). Food combining diet and adrenal fatigue. Dr. Lam Coaching – World Renowned Authority on Adrenal Fatigue Recovery. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.drlamcoaching.com/blog/food-combining-diet-adrenal-fatigue/ 

Mawer, R. (2020, October 22). The ketogenic diet: A detailed beginner’s guide to keto. Healthline. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101  

Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D. (2008). The Freshman 15: Is it real? Journal of American college health: J of ACH. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532948/ 

Nadolsky, K. (2020, July). FAD diets explained. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.aace.com/disease-and-conditions/nutrition-and-obesity/fad-diets-explained  

Newman, T. (2017, July 17). 9 most popular diets rated by experts 2017. Medical News Today. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5847  

NHS. (n.d.). 12 tips to help you lose weight. NHS choices. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/12-tips-to-help-you-lose-weight/ 

Obesity in College Students

November 8, 2022

By: Ethan Gardner

Introduction

It is often common that Colorado State Students as well as all college students live completely differently than they normally would at home, especially when it comes to eating and physical activity. This is commonly known as the  “freshman 15”, which is a shared idea from colleges across the country. However, the “freshman 15” and obesity are two completely different things. Although it may not sound like it, the “freshman 15” may not actually be a bad thing for someone’s body. But obesity on the other hand is a lot more complex, taking into account body index, activities such as sleep, and even emotion. This takes me to my main point, which is that obesity is often an overlooked issue taking place in college students.

Change in Diet

When thinking of the idea of obesity, the first thought probably has to do with food consumption. Students’ diets can be completely different from what they were eating in high school. Without that supervision that they are used to, students make poor meal choices. Some examples could be eating much more than they used to in the buffet-style dining halls, or eating the most cheap and convenient thing for them, which for the most part is fast food. This issue can be fixed at CSU by students being more careful of their portion sizes, as well as being more aware of the health side of things. Another big factor of poor diets in college students are different eating schedules. Many students have very packed daily schedules, and sometimes activities in these schedules actually take the place of eating. This could lead to eating meals at extreme hours, which when combined with a not so good diet, can be a big problem. Eating late is also known to be a cause of becoming overweight. This can be partially solved by students choosing to not eat at these hours, or by switching full meals to snacks and smaller portions.

Physical Activity

The next most known factor of obesity is the amount of physical activity an individual is doing. This is another factor that is heavily affected by the packed schedules of college students. When a student is trying to juggle both their schooling and social lives it may be very difficult to fit in time to get active. Additionally, students who used to be very active before college and no longer play sports are now seeing a significant decrease in physical activity, which their body is not used to. This change is another simple way for a college student to gain weight. This problem can be partially solved at CSU by students doing the smallest bit of exercise when they can, for example, walking to class whenever possible instead of driving, or getting involved in intramural sports on campus.

Emotion

College can be filled with emotional ups and downs for all students. As this is an environment they are not used to, emotions could sometimes get the better of students. The main example of this is of course, stress. Stress is extremely common among college students, especially because of the heavy workload. However, stress is an emotion that is very hard to deal with, and can cause some dietary changes. We probably all have “stress eaten” before in order to try and negate our stress through food we enjoy. But there is actually a scientific explanation for this. For example, when you are stressed your body releases the hormone Cortisol, which causes a reaction from your body for sugar cravings. As college students are stressed a lot of the time this causes an increase in unhealthy food, which could lead to gaining weight. College students often also deal with emotional problems such as depression and homesickness. Both of these emotional states can cause students to feel down, or sad, and a common way to counteract these feelings is a lack of physical activity and/or eating much more than you usually would. 

Sleep

Sleep and college students do not have a very good relationship. With most college students trying their best to balance both their educational and social lives, this most of the time leaves them with very little hours to sleep every night. Sleep deprivation is one of the most overlooked causes of both weight gain and obesity. Similarly to stress, sleep deprivation is also known to cause a release of cortisol in the body. As well as that, a lack of sleep causes an increase in the release of the hormones Leptin and Ghrelin, which in turn causes an increase in appetite, which can cause weight gain. Furthermore, a lack of sleep is known to cause a decrease in metabolism for food consumption. If CSU students could try their best to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night it would be very beneficial from a health standpoint.

Alcohol/Drug Consumption

Colleges are known to be places where alcohol consumption is very common. However, the intake of alcohol has many bad effects on the body, especially when it comes to food consumption and weight gain. Firstly, alcohol slows the breaking down of both fats and sugars in your body, as it tries to get rid of the alcohol first. Also, alcohol is known to mess with the body’s ability to intake food, which could cause someone to eat more than they usually would. It is not as prominent, but drug consumption is also something that takes place on college campuses. One main example is marijuana. In comparison to alcohol, which also does not directly cause obesity from consumption, marijuana can cause cardiovascular problems that are correlated with unhealthy diets. Staying away from these substances as much as possible will help this problem at CSU massively.

Conclusion

To sum up the information I talked about today, there are many other aspects to student life that affect obesity than the cliché “freshman 15”. If students today are able to focus on their lifestyle, physical activity, and even simple aspects such as sleep, the college obesity problem would decrease massively.

About the Author

Hello, I am Ethan Gardner, a student in the CSU Honors Program majoring in computer science. I am currently in an Honors class titled You Are What You Eat, which focuses on food in all aspects of our life. Looking deeper into this topic has interested me in food’s effect on us as people. I am usually a fairly active person, but this semester I have not done as much physical activity as I should have, and I am being affected by some of the topics I talked about in this blog. However, my health is very important to me and this is something I would like to change in the near future.

Sources

“College Drinking.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking. 

“Cortisol: What It Is, Function, Symptoms & Levels.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol. 

Hallal, Fatima. “What Time Should You Stop Eating at Night?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 July 2021, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-time-should-you-stop-eating. 

“How Does Smoking Marijuana Affect Your Weight?: Laguna Treatment.” Laguna Treatment Hospital, 27 May 2021, https://lagunatreatment.com/drug-abuse/marijuana/affecting-your-weight. 

“How Has the Health of College Students Changed in the Last 50 Years?” Taylor & Francis, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2020.1859853. 

J, Choi. “Impact of Stress Levels on Eating Behaviors among College Students.” Nutrients, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32349338/. 

Kaple, Timon. “College Obesity Awareness.” EduMed, http://Www.edumed.org, 11 Feb. 2021, https://www.edumed.org/resources/college-obesity-awareness/. 

“Obesity and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 18 Apr. 2022, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/obesity-and-sleep. 

You’re Consuming, but Are You Really Eating?

By: Kira Lorenc

Photo credit from Getty Images  

Whenever I walk into one of the CSU dining halls, there are always a few things that catch my attention; the groups of friends sitting around large tables having conversations, the large dining hall menus that are being displayed above my head, the different cookies in the displays case. But one thing that I notice are the people who don’t want to be seen, the folks sitting by themselves watching TikTok’s on their phone or consumed in whatever assignment they’re trying to finish at the last minute. I don’t have any issues with people eating alone, however I always wondered why it has become so ingrained in our culture to multitask, particularly when it comes to eating whilst consuming media. And it isn’t just in the dining halls. Throughout the world people are on their phones at the dining table or watching the news while in sit-down restaurants. The practice and art of mindful eating is wearing away when really, it could be saving us all.  

Food Addictions  

It may not surprise you to hear that across the board, university students have very poor eating habits. Food addiction is defined as the “compulsive and excessive consumption of high-fat, high-sugar, and hyper-palatable foods” as stated by the Science Direct Journal. It has sadly been reported that the prevalence of food addiction in university students ranges from 7.9-24% of any student body. The majority of dining halls make increasingly addictive foods that are high in sugar and fat, making students crave eating more, even when they aren’t hungry. This paired with the all-you–can eat style of dining halls makes eating a very touchy subject for many students. Even at campuses as health focused and sustainable as CSU, students still fall into unhealthy eating patterns and begin consuming needlessly. I know that I often fall prey to many of the tactics employed by dining halls, eating desserts more than I should and noticing that the longer I stay in the halls, the more I eat. These unhealthy eating patterns are only amplified when students spend all their eating time on their phones because they are no longer focusing on the taste or sensation of food, but rather just the act of consuming it. We eat for the sake of eating, wanting to clean our plates even when we aren’t hungry. This eating for the sake of eating only increases when we stare at our phones, spending more time in the dining halls mindlessly eating and consuming when we should be enjoying our tine with our food.  

The Goldfishing Effect  

Have you ever sat down to watch a movie with a bowl of popcorn but then noticed by the end, all the popcorn had mysteriously vanished even when you remember only taking a few handfuls? When we are consuming media or concentrating on other tasks, we are much more likely to overeat. According to a study done by Cambridge University, more than half of their respondents recorded concurrent eating with watching TV at least once a week and during those times, recipients spent a much longer time eating. We lose our visual cues that signify when the meal is finished, such as an empty plate. More often than not, us university students find ourselves not focused on what we are eating whether it be in the dining halls or even bringing take out to our dorms. When we bring up that take out, we rarely even have plates, blowing through more food than we need and still not feeling full because we were watching videos at the same time. Since we are more focused on the media we are consuming, we don’t register our calorie intact and end up eating more. And even when we do feel full, many of us keep eating, much like a goldfish who keeps on eating and expanding.  

Examining Social Media  

Eating while watching videos or other forms of media isn’t new to us, the rise of social media in the past few decades has made media, short form content, and forms of communication much more viable. For Americans aged 18-29, 71% use Instagram, 95% use YouTube, 48% are on TikTok and 65% are on Snapchat, percentages much higher than any other age range. I’ve never been an avid user of social media and a majority of peers that I’ve talked to about it feel like social media has a negative influence over their lives and wish to get rid of it. But this trick is, no one can. This social media use is everywhere, and when combined with the busy lives of a university student, we use it as a form or relaxation or escape which can also be associated with eating or mealtimes. But having this content everywhere we go and having no separation for our mealtimes affects how we enjoy both and as mentioned before, we start significantly overeating. This is only worsened when so much of social media drives our food mindset, whether that be with ads, influencers, and fad diets circling around us.  

Photo credit to Johns Hopkins Medicine 

The Practice of Intuitive Eating  

So really, what should we be doing? The goal is to practice mindful eating, meaning that you are “using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make” and that much like regular mindfulness, you stay in the moment. The practice of mindful eating links to eating intuitively, where we don’t focus on the exact nutrients or proportions that are going into our body, but rather eat what feels best. It’s a skill that needs to be cultivated but is better in the longer term because after we, we are all different and know our bodies best. When studied, this intuitive eating was inversely related to loss of control overeating, causing those who were more mindful to better recognize their eating habits and improve. In addition to the health benefits of eating more mindfully, our bodies and minds are also able to fully reset when we eat. It acts as a mediator between our stressful school lives and our personal lives, allowing for some brevity through the day. This lack of multitasking helps us regain control of our senses and really take some time to reflect on ourselves, taking mindless eating to mindful eating. So, the next time you go into a dining hall or your own kitchen to get some food, try putting the screens away for that whole time and really focus on what you are eating, trying to keep it special. It’s a mealtime after all, might as well make the most of it.  

About the Author   

I’m Kira, a first-year honors student at CSU studying Chemical and Biological Engineering. Growing up in a household that always encouraged curious eating, a love for cooking came naturally to me and while I’m unsure of my own path, I hope to carry that love and schools experience into the food industry and its sustainability. Even if it isn’t the case, I still strive to be curious about food and to hopefully pass that curiosity to everyone around me.  

Bibliography  

Alblas, M. C., Mollen, S., Wennekers, A. M., Fransen, M. L., & Putte, B. van den. (2021). Consuming media, consuming food: Investigating concurrent TV viewing and eating using a 7-d time use diary survey. Public Health Nutrition, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021002858  

Atske, S. (2021, April 7). Social media use in 2021. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/ 

Bennett, B. L., & Latner, J. D. (2022). Mindful eating, intuitive eating, and the loss of control over eating. Eating Behaviors, 47, 101680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101680  

CDC. (2022, June 3). Reflect, replace, reinforce. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html 

Kaya Cebioğlu, İ., Dumlu Bilgin, G., Kavsara, H. K., Gül Koyuncu, A., Sarioğlu, A., Aydin, S., & Keküllüoğlu, M. (2022). Food addiction among university students: The effect of mindful eating. Appetite, 177, 106133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106133 

Mindful eating. (2020). The Nutrition Source; Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/mindful-eating/  

Mindful eating. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.johnshopkinssolutions.com/mindful-eating-infographic/  

Why we overeat while watching tv. (2019, December 26). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/put-down-that-remote-heres-why-we-overeat-in-front-of-the-tv-and-how-to-stop/ 

There’s no ME in MEAT! Wait…

By: Isabella Butzer 

Meat as a Choice? 

My pseudo vegetarian journey started while sitting in an Earl’s Rib Palace in Oklahoma City when I was 9 years old. My older sister had just binged all of the pro-vegetarian documentaries circling Netflix at the time, and made the choice to start her vegetarian diet on our trip to this meat emporium. My whole family quickly hopped on board and we went full throttle vegetarian – a dramatic change from our past eating habits. We started trying every meat alternative on the shelf, with some of our favorites being chickpea patties and vegan bacon, which my mother lovingly coined “facon.”  

While I would no longer claim the label, ‘vegetarian’ (as meat occasionally sneaks on to my plate), my relationship with meat has evolved to the point where I only eat meat if I cannot get it off my mind, or if I watch a documentary that scares me out of it for a few weeks. This is all to say, dialogue pushing meat in moderation and meat as a choice we make could be a useful gateway into pushing people into less meat-heavy diets across the world. As consumers, we have the power to change the industry (especially consumers that have the resources) and need to recognize and act on that notion.  

MEat’s Impact 

The global average of meat consumption per capita from 1961 to 2011 has increased by 75%, which has had drastic effects on human health and the health of the environment. Additionally, more than half of harvest crop proteins from global croplands are fed to animals, and ruminant animal grazing areas cover around one quarter of the global land area. This animal agriculture causes deforestation, land degradation, and huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.  

This all goes to show the importance of recognizing our power in choice – especially if we have one – and our power in creating the demands on meat that are demanding so much from our planet. While oftentimes vegetarianism or veganism is seen as diets that require 100% follow through, a thoughtful shift could have a substantial impact on the demand and therefore the supply. With anti-meat rhetoric increasingly circulating in our communities, there have also been new ‘fake meat’ or ‘meat alternatives’ that have shown up on our plates. A transition to plant-based diets could reduce global emissions by 29-70% by 2050. These new configurations of foods to satisfy our carnage cravings can be a very useful and creative tool to help lower the demands on meat as a main food source for the masses.  

Also, what’s more fun than trying the new way people packaged pea protein or cooked jackfruit? 

Impossible and Beyond Meat 

Impossible vs Beyond Meat Burgers  

Meat alternatives are endless from insects to clean meat, to fruits and mushrooms, and the upcoming meat imitations such as Impossible and Beyond Meat. Impossible Beef contains soy proteins, heme flavors, sunflower and coconut fats, and binders. Byond meat contains pea protein, canola and coconut oils, rice protein, and beet juice. These meats can be used a huge variety of dishes and are sold as patties, ground ‘beef’, sausage, meatballs, breakfast sausage, crumbles, chicken, and pork. While these ‘meats’ help solve the issues related to the undesirable impacts of meat on the environment and is a good protein source with economic benefits, the palatability continues to be an obstacle for consumers as well as the social norms and perceptions surrounding meat and ‘meat’ alternatives.  

 After trying many forms of both brands, I prefer Imposible’s products as I find them to better imitate ‘real’ meat. Additionally, the Colorado State University’s (CSU) dining halls occasionally serve some of these meat alternative patties which are often left untouched. The dining halls have a large influence over what the students have available to eat, and should use that power by reducing meat as an option and spending more time on developing these meat alternative options. This would also reiterate CSU’s commitment to environmental sustainability.  

Mushrooms and Fruits 

Mushroom Kebabs and Jackfruit Pot Roast 

Ever bitten into a juicy jackfruit burger or mushroom steak? While I have only a handful of times, they have yet to disappoint. Mushrooms and fruits can also be a key player in finding meat alternatives and help solve the issues stemming from the over consumption of ‘real’ meat. Additionally, jackfruit can serve as a meat substitute to imitate the pulled chicken effect. Jackfruit by-products also contain protein and fiber and can be used to develop healthy meat analogues for people looking to make the choice to eliminate meat from their diets. Jackfruit and breadfruit also have the potential to be used as a healthier fat replacer in chicken patties.   

The dining halls have also occasionally had portabella mushroom quesadillas and jackfruit burgers by request, but often do not have the same additional flavors and spices added compared to the meat options. By making these foods more readily available and palatable, students would be more likely to be inclined to try these alternatives. 

Edible Insects 

 Essento Insect burger  

Around the world, around 2.5 billion people have insects as a part of their diet. Insects are most commonly harvested from the wild and can be processed by steaming, roasting, smoking, frying, stewing, and curing. There have also been flours developed from edible insects which are gaining popularity. While eating insects may be considered taboo, they have a high nutritional value which could help provide an environmentally ‘friendly’ meat alternative. Companies such as Essento are working to create insect products ready for mass markets, including snacks, granola bars, cricket flour, burgers, and meat balls.  

Meat Consumption @ CSU 

In the CSU Dining Halls, it seems meat is a part of every meal option, and always in large quantities. While there is the occasional “country fried tofu” or “plant-based nuggets,” it often feels that the dining halls cater towards diets that heavily value meat. In my experience since starting to eat at the CSU dining halls, I have found myself eating more meat because it is always available, and in many forms. There are also not many alternatives and not many of the meals are designed to be consumed without the meat aspect. 

I wanted to see if this sentiment was reciprocated by other CSU students so I asked 30 students if their meat consumption since starting to eat at the dining halls has, 1) decreased significantly 2) somewhat decreased 3) remained the same 4) somewhat increased 5) increased significantly. I also asked them if the availability of meat in the dining halls compared to before starting to eat at the dining halls has changed, based on the same rankings. Out of the 30 people surveyed, 15 people said their meat consumption has decreased (1+2) and 17 people said the availability of meat has increased (4+5).  

While this did not align with my hypothesis that people had more meat available and ate more meat since starting to eat at the dining halls, many people brought up the argument that their meat consumption has decreased because the meat is “gross” or “disgusting,” or that it has made them sick. A few students who believed their meat consumption has increased remarked that “[meat] is all there is” and that it is “always available.” While the survey did not have a large sample size, I think it shows that CSU dining halls need to create more meat-free meals weather that is with meat alternatives, or with no ‘meat’. I also think that while in many cases people have the option of whether to eat meat or not, often it is forced onto the consumer based on the large availability of the food.  

Moo-ing Forward 

Meat should be enjoyed as a special and occasional food and should not be further pushed into people’s diets. Not only can it be harmful to one’s health in large amounts, but it is also detrimental to the planet at the scale it is being produced. New meat analogues such as Impossible and Beyond Meats, fruits and mushrooms, and other protein alternatives such as insects, can be a very important tool in shifting the rate of meat consumption.  By making these alternatives palatable, we can decrease the amount of meat available and decrease our overall consumption. This brings me to question, do people eat meat because it’s always available, or is meat always available because people want to eat it? (Or is it a combination of both?) 

About The Author  

I am a first-year Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Major with a concentration in Conservation Biology. I am from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and I enjoy spending time outdoors with good people. I have also spent over 400 hours volunteering at the Oklahoma City Zoo, where I developed a deep interest in conservation and natural resource sciences. I hope to one day be in the field working to conserve our beautiful world.  

Works Cited 

“All products.” Essento, https://essento.ch/en/all-products/. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

“Burger | Plant-Based Burger Patties.” Beyond Meat, https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/the-beyond-burger. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

Britnell, Brita. “Jackfruit Pot Roast.” Food with Feeling, 7 November 2019, https://foodwithfeeling.com/jackfruit-pot-roast/. Accessed 6 December 2022. 

Green, Missy. “Swiss start-up plans to roll out organic insect burger across Europe.” Food Ingredients First, 20 July 2020, https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/swiss-start-up-plans-to-roll-out-organic-insect-burger-across-europe.html. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

Hamid, M A, et al. “The Application of Jackfruit by-Product on the Development of Healthy Meat Analogue.” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 575, no. 1, 2020, p. 012001., doi:10.1088/1755-1315/575/1/012001.  

Lee, Hyun Jung et al. “Status of meat alternatives and their potential role in the future meat market – A review.” Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences vol. 33,10 (2020): 1533-1543. doi:10.5713/ajas.20.0419  

Melgar-Lalanne, G., Hernández-Álvarez, A.-J. and Salinas-Castro, A. (2019), Edible Insects Processing: Traditional and Innovative Technologies. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18: 1166-1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12463  

Milford, Anna B., et al. “Drivers of Meat Consumption.” Appetite, vol. 141, 2019, https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0195666319301047?token=95E137A058C18C89523573F2D323C250AA58627B3B135EDD5A6AD70F2F2A02EF6CBDC5913205AE666A656D674FC3C021&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20221114155211. 

Rashedi Ismail-Fitry, Mohammad, and Nur Farihah Azwa Abas. “Potential Use of Jackfruit (Artocarpus Heterophyllus) and  Breadfruit (Artocarpus Altilis) as Fat Replacer to Produce  Low-Fat Chicken Patties.” International Journal of Engineering & Technology, vol. 7, no. 4.14, 2019, p. 292., doi:10.14419/ijet.v7i4.14.27659.  

Splawn, Meghan. “10 Ways to Use Mushrooms As a Substitute for Meat.” The Spruce Eats, 21 October 2021, https://www.thespruceeats.com/mushroom-substitutes-for-meat-5204997. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

Thompson, Kat. “Impossible Burger vs Beyond Meat: Comparing Both Vegan Burger Brands.” Thrillist, 14 April 2022, https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/impossible-burger-vs-beyond-meat. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

Watson, Elaine. “Clean meat: How do US consumers feel about cell cultured meat?” FoodNavigator-USA, 1 August 2018, https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2018/08/01/Clean-meat-How-do-US-consumers-feel-about-cell-cultured-meat. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

“What are the ingredients in Impossible™ Beef Made From Plants?” Impossible Foods, https://faq.impossiblefoods.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018937494-What-are-the-ingredients-in-Impossible-Beef-Made-From-Plants-. Accessed 14 November 2022. 

Lack of High-Quality, Healthy Food to Promote College Student Wellness

By Sadie Montez

Background

It is no surprise that college students are not the healthiest people alive. When students graduate high school and continue their higher education journey, there seem to be more roadblocks that hinder a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The transition to college means they will leave their parents’ home cooking, adapt to possible cultural and environmental shocks, learn financial stability, and maintain a good social life. It’s a lot. These multitude of factors ultimately change these students’ values towards convenience, taste, and price over any nutritional benefit in the food they eat. Late night snacking is also prevalent among college students, showing that about one-fifth of students exhibit late-night cravings; CSU has even created a late-night meal period to cater to their students late eating habits. Personally, I know lots of people at CSU that snack on low-quality food simply because it is easier to do so. Of course, realistically, there is little that can be done to change embedded student habits, especially with their busy schedules, but it is good to create goals that works with these habits to promote the health of your students.

What CSU is Doing

CSU dining services makes an effort to meet this goal, but they may offer options that are less than optimal. For example, it is hard to miss the cookies, brownies, cakes, and bars in the dining halls; they are housed in a glass case equipped with attractive lighting and placed in an area aligning perfectly with the dining station traffic flow. CSU makes it easy to simply open the door and grab as many sweets as desired, which definitely was taken advantage of by my friends and me the first week here. However, these temptations in CSU dining reveals the food revamp we need to make; after all, all first-year students are required to purchase a meal plan. It is obvious we need better access to higher quality foods that actually promote students’ health, so if students so choose, they can easily buy and eat healthy food because it is more readily available.

Photo of Foundry Dining Hall at CSU

“Eat Well”

CSU is not completely at blame for not positively reconstructing and catering to college student eating habits, as the university aims to promote healthy eating through an “Eat Well Blog”. This blog gives students access to the educational resources they need to find healthier food options. Conveniently, they even add “menu labels” to dining hall food menus showing that the specific food meets the hefty “Eat Well” criteria. Sounds like they are doing a good job, right? Actually, when taking a closer look at the dining hall menus, the “Eat Well” marker is rarely shown in the weekly menus, as the only things listed as “Eat Well” for a normal Tuesday breakfast at the Foundry was “Low Fat 2% Cottage Cheese” and “Cubed Honeydew”, which is unsustainable to eat by themselves. Lunch and dinner did not show any improvements, either. Menus are also subject to change, which means that some of these “Eat Well” options may not even be available depending on shipments and staffing. I have even personally experienced these “Eat Well” food shortages, which left me no choice but to get fattier, more unhealthy foods served by dining. These shortages happen frequently, but the opposite could be said about the desserts, as I have never seen the glass case empty. CSU proves to work with and even tinker with college students’ unhealthy habits, but their efforts can sometimes fall through.

Grubhub

Within the past few years, CSU has also introduced a partnership with Grubhub, making it even easier to access foods like pizza, chicken tenders, fries, and meatball sub sandwiches with a touch of a finger. Processed, fatty foods can be ordered in bed and quickly picked up without judgement. I have even fallen victim to using Grubhub to order pizza at my dorm when I know I can get something better from the dining halls. With that said, it also is worth noting that students may be persuaded into picking unhealthier, fattening options; CSU students may be less likely to get a salad because Grubhub will flash pictures of hamburgers and cheese pizza while ordering. Though the Grubhub app demonstrates extreme convenience and serves CSU students’ needs, it is flawed in the sense that it only incentivizes unhealthy, processed foods. Nutrition facts are rarely seen in the app, which negatively impacts healthy decision-making. Ultimately, Grubhub only lets low-quality food get to students faster and discourages slow foods in their diets. Personally, though Grubhub is extremely convenient to me as a college student, I do see a problem with allowing less-than-ideal habits to continue through their sneaky advertising, as I am able to positively change in my diet given the right resources and support.

A nearby dining center’s Grubhub home menu

Coca-Cola Partnership

CSU tries to do what is best for their students, but it may not always translate. In fact, the way CSU sets up their dining services may actually be counterintuitive to students’ health. In June of 2011, CSU and Coca-Cola announced a “unique”, “strategic” ten-year partnership that allows Coca-Cola to fund scholarships, academia efforts, athletics, and marketing strategies for the university in exchange for a beverage contract with the popular corporation, solidifying that “Coca-Cola will be CSU’s exclusive beverage provider”. Now, because CSU is receiving substantial financial support from Coca-Cola, exclusively carrying their products seems like a tiny sacrifice to make. I was even convinced that it would yield nothing but good. Yet, it is no secret that Coca-Cola is not the healthiest brand to consume, and it is easy to persuade college students to buy Coca-Cola products because they line up perfectly with their values: convenience, taste, and price. In fact, I have friends that get Coca-Cola products daily because it is one of the few items they like that fits within the meal swipe amount. CSU says they are looking out for students and their health, but to what extent? These low-nutrient, highly processed diets need the nurture to improve, but it is hard to do so when there are many barriers preventing this. We need to look at different areas for improvement, both the school and us CSU students.

Solutions

The dining halls at CSU need to figure out better, more positive ways to construct their dining facilities. One solution would be to provide healthy, fresh grab-and-go options for students. Though CSU does try to give this to students, the options lack variety and freshness. If salads, fruit, and protein sources were made on-site, it would allow for more fresh, appetizing options. This would also increase university employment. I know when I have ordered salad or fruit, the marketplaces tend to try to sell older food to reduce food waste, which prevents me from buying them in the first place because they are discolored or soft. Another strategic solution would be to place healthier options closer to the registers, like bottled water, to increase its convenience as opposed to sugary drinks. In the Grubhub app, pizza or chicken tenders should automatically ask to include a fruit or vegetable, which pressures students to think about what they should be putting in their body. Us students at CSU have a job to look out for ourselves, and I believe that holding values about self-respect and self-care within the app will tempt students like me to eat more healthily.

Specifics

The marketplaces should offer and promote deals in the marketplaces dealing with healthy, more unprocessed foods. The student library cafes should offer less sugary, brain-healthy options in library cafes, especially during finals week. Also, it would be wise to make sure vegetarian and vegan options are always available and appetizing to the consumer, while simultaneously minimizing the pretty aesthetics associated with the dining hall desserts. It is imperative that CSU makes a conscious decision to look out for their students’ health more than a menu label. CSU should consider partnering with local businesses (Walrus Ice Cream does not count) to provide better options for CSU students and work with their habits. CSU students like myself can also be further educated on health and wellness regarding food, and make smarter, conscious decisions that benefit short-term and long-term health. Knowing what foods increase overall health will curb what students order and therefore affect the supply and demand aspects CSU dining tries to follow. Now, I know that while these efforts obviously will not stop all bad eating habits, it is making healthy food more accessible, appealing, and abundant, which ultimately allows students to better take care of themselves through high-quality food.

About the Author

My name is Sadie, and I am a Nutrition and Dietetic Management major at CSU. I obviously have an interest in food, as I like to see how the food we eat affect us in different ways. I wanted to learn more about food’s impact from a broader perspective, which I why I was interested in taking a course about it. I like seeing how everyday food can be interpreted, explored, and manipulated into different things ultimately affecting our everyday life. Food in my household was not always the healthiest, so I like learning how processed foods and meats negatively affect overall health. I heavily value health and wellness, especially because I have seen what preventable disease does to others, which is also why I am inspired to become a registered dietitian in the future.

References

Abraham, S., R. Noriega, B., & Shin, J. Y. (2018). College students eating habits and knowledge of nutritional requirements. Journal of Nutrition and Human Health, 02(01). https://doi.org/10.35841/nutrition-human-health.2.1.13-17

Chavez, H. (2018, December 5). Welcome Fifty30, the newest eatery on campus. CSU Life. https://csulife.source.colostate.edu/welcome-fifty30-the-newest-eatery-on-campus/

Colorado State University and Coca-Cola Refreshments Announce Unique Partnership that Provides CSU Funding, Scholarships, Academic Improvements, and Global Marketing Opportunities (2011, June 2). News & Media Relations | Colorado State University.

Colorado State University and Coca-Cola Refreshments Announce Unique Partnership that Provides CSU Funding, Scholarships, Academic Improvements, and Global Marketing Opportunities

https://newsmediarelations.colostate.edu/2011/06/02/colorado-state-university-and-coca-cola-refreshments-announce-unique-partnership-that-provides-csu-funding-scholarships-academic-improvements-and-global-marketing-opportunities/

Dining Center Menus | Eat Well Blog. (n.d.). Eatwell.colostate.edu. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://eatwell.colostate.edu/menus/

EAT WELL OPTIONS | Eat Well Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://eatwell.colostate.edu/eat-well-options/

‌FAQs – Housing & Dining Services. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://housing.colostate.edu/dining/faqs/#:~:text=Our%20meal%20periods%20%28for%20all%20residential%20dining%20centers%29

Felman, A. (2019, November 6). Health risks of Coca-Cola: What it does to the body. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297600

Hours & Information – Housing & Dining Services. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://housing.colostate.edu/dining/hours-explore/

May 02, T. on, & 2019. (n.d.). 5 stats on how today’s college students are eating. FoodService Director. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.foodservicedirector.com/operations/5-stats-how-todays-college-students-are-eating#page=0

‌Nutrislice Menus | Colorado State University Housing & Dining Services. (n.d.). Csumenus.nutrislice.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://csumenus.nutrislice.com/menu/the-foundry/breakfast/2022-11-08

The Importance Of A Healthy Diet And Exercise For College Students – KidsAcookin. (n.d.). https://www.kidsacookin.org/the-importance-of-a-healthy-diet-and-exercise-for-college-students/

Is Sugar the Devil?

By Jacob Guggenhime

November 6, 2022

A powerful substance has taken the human race by storm in the last couple of centuries. This substance is linked to 184,000 deaths a year, causes a plethora of diseases, is one of the most widely consumed addictive substances in the world, is sold in every grocery store, and gas station, and is even given to children in schools. The substance I am talking about is sugar. Sugar has become a staple in our diets and people today are consuming more sugar than ever before, both in total consumption around the world and in personal diets. Today I will be exploring why this consumption rate of sugar is so detrimental to people’s health and what people who are developing their dietary habits can think about and do to combat this problem. 

Natural and Added Sugars

To understand what the problems with sugar consumption are, you need to understand the difference between natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugars are non-processed sugars that can be found naturally with no human interference. This type of sugar can be found in several different foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, beans, and whole grains. These natural sugars are not linked to having negative effects on health due to the reasonable and modest amount that can be found in the foods that contain them as well as being packaged with healthy fibers, nutrients, phytochemicals, protein, and minerals. Additionally, the presence of fiber in foods with natural sugars is significant because it slows down the absorption of sugar and therefore, its impact on blood sugar. Having a slower absorption rate combined with the other nutrients that are found in foods containing natural sugar will also lead to feeling more full from fewer calories. 

Added or processed sugar is sugar that has been added to our food at any point. This is commonly found in the white table sugar we put in our coffee or the high fructose corn syrup that is commonly put in soda or added to processed foods. Added sugars are usually heavily processed and are calorie dense without any of the accompanying nutrients or fibers that are found with natural sugars. Our bodies do not need, or benefit from, eating added sugar. This type of sugar is just empty calories that can cause spikes in blood sugar while having little to no positive effects. 

Picture by Alexandr Dubynin and GettyImage 

The Problem With Sugar

To be clear, a little bit of sugar is not the devil. Eating added sugar in moderation is fine and while your body won’t get any physical benefits from it as we do from natural sugars, having a small amount of added sugar in your diet wont hurt you. The problems we are seeing today are stemming from the overconsumption of added sugar. The US is first in the world for daily average sugar consumption with the average person in the US consuming more than 126 grams of added sugar a day. This may not seem like a huge number but the recommendation is that people over the age of 2 should keep their daily intake of added sugar to less than 10% of their total calorie intake. The average person who has a 2000-calorie-a-day diet should eat no more than 200 calories a day, or about 12 teaspoons of added sugar. This means that if you are eating 2000 calories a day, it won’t be unhealthy to eat up to a maximum of around 60 grams of sugar a day. When it comes to sugar recommendations, this recommendation is also higher than many others. In fact, The American Heart Association recommends that men should only consume no more than 36 grams or 150 calories for men, and 25 grams or 100 calories for women.

Photo By The American Heart Association 

Negative Effects of Consuming Too Much Added Sugar 

You have probably heard from your parents over the years that eating too much sugar is bad for you but why is that? First off, sugar is addictive. Health expert Susan Pierce stated that “physiologically, it’s as addictive as cocaine.” The addictiveness of sugar can result in cravings and withdrawals which makes it incredibly difficult for many people to stop eating sugar once they have started as well as eating more sugar to satisfy the cravings which lead to overconsumption. Consistent overconsumption of sugar has been linked to many negative effects on many aspects of the human body. Some but not all of these effects include the following… 

• Mood. Sugar causes blood sugar spikes and crashes that result in mood swings as well as an increased risk for depression in adults. 
• Skin. Sugar caused inflammation and inflammation in general causes skin to age faster. When there is excessive sugar in the blood, sugar will attach to proteins in the bloodstream creating molecules called advanced glycation end products. These molecules damage collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in wrinkly and saggy skin.
• The Liver. The fructose in added sugar damages the liver when processed in large quantities and transforms into fat. This fat produced in the liver can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
• The Heart and Circulatory System. The extra insulin in your bloodstream caused by consuming too much sugar can cause the walls of arteries all over your body to get inflamed and grow thicker and stiffer than usual. This causes stress on the heart that can eventually result in heart diseases such as heart attacks and stroke. People whose daily calories are more than 25% sugar are twice as likely to die of heart disease than people whose daily calorie intake is less than 10% sugar. 
• The Pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing the insulin in our bodies and when someone eats too much sugar, their pancreas overworks itself and overproduces insulin. If the pancreas is overworked for too long, it will eventually shut down and can lead to type 2 diabetes. 

These are just some of the negative effects that the overconsumption of sugar can lead to. As you can see, the effects are not small and can be detrimental to a person’s health.

What Can Be Done To Fix This Sugar Problem 

As easy as it would be to just say eat less sugar, the solution is not that easy. As I’ve discussed, sugar is incredibly addictive, and many people simply do not have the willpower and the means to stop the consumption of sugar at the rate they are used to. Highly concentrated added sugar-rich products are incredibly abundant and far more available than healthy food alternatives with natural sugars. Increasing the availability of healthy whole foods that contain natural sugar instead of added sugars as well as educating the masses on the effects that sugar has, are a couple of solutions that could help the problem we are facing in the US today. Another solution that has been implemented by some states already, is a sugar or soda and candy tax as well as subsidies for healthy foods. Research into food subsidies saw a 10% decrease in the price of healthy foods due to subsidies, saw a 12% increase in the consumption of those foods as well as a drop in the average BMI or body mass index. This kind of subsidy is an effective strategy for fighting obesity and some of the problems caused by the overconsumption of sugar. By making sugar less available and healthier alternatives more available, we incentivize people to eat healthier and stray away from the overconsumption of sugar. 

At CSU 

Going to CSU I experienced many of the new freedoms that I was told to expect but the most prevalent freedom I noticed was the ability to eat and drink whatever I wanted. With a decent meal plan and ram cash, I have access to almost unlimited food which is great; what shocked me, is the amount of sugar that is also available. From the unlimited soda and soft serve machines to the on-campus stores that have walls of candy, cake, and energy drinks, but almost no healthy and nutritious food. Increasing the amount of food with natural sugar as well as decreasing the availability and amount of foods with added sugar in the stores on campus would be a great change that would decrease the consumption of added sugars on campus. 

Photos of some of the added sugar candies and junk food (left) vs the natural sugar alternatives (right) in Ram’s Horn express.

Another change that could be beneficial would be removing the soda machines in the dining hall or making them require payment. Soda is one of the most sugary and detrimental products we can consume and reducing it’s availability of it would be beneficial. Putting more healthy natural foods in the on-campus stores would also make having a healthy snack or breakfast possible if you don’t have time to go to a dining hall. Most importantly though, having widespread education and promotion of a healthy diet all over campus, especially for incoming freshmen who are building habits, would be the most beneficial thing our school could do to prevent students from overconsuming added sugar. 

I encourage all the people who read this, especially students, to consider the negative effects that added sugar has when choosing what to eat and to make an effort to not only decrease your consumption but talk about the sugar problem so many people are suffering from. 

About the Author

My name is Jake Guggenhime, I am an honors student at Colorado State University and my major is Forestry and Rangeland Stewardship. I am currently enrolled in an honors class called “You Are What You Eat” where we have learned all about the many different aspects of food from the cultural significance it has, to the health and environmental effects that it has. Before coming to CSU I worked in an ambulance as an EMT where I saw Obesity, Diabetes, and the many impacts that an unhealthy diet can cause. This inspired me to research and learn about the impacts of sugar and how nasty the negative effects of overconsumption are. I believe that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed. 

Bibliography 

Vasanti Malik, ScD. “Are Certain Types of Sugars Healthier than Others?” Harvard Health, 30 May 2019, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/are-certain-types-of-sugars-healthier-than-others-2019052916699. 

Murad, Maram. “Added Sugar Consumption among College Students.” The Athenaeum, 2017, https://athenaeum.uiw.edu/uiw_etds/6/. 

“The Rise of Sugar: How Colonialism, Industrialization, and Price Made Sugar Central to the Western Diet.” Chocolate Class, 25 Mar. 2020, https://chocolateclass.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/the-rise-of-sugar-how-colonialism-industrialization-and-price-made-sugar-central-to-the-western-diet/. 

Ferdman, Roberto A. “Where People around the World Eat the Most Sugar and Fat.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 Nov. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/05/where-people-around-the-world-eat-the-most-sugar-and-fat/. 

Powell, Tori B. “Why Sugar Is So Addicting and How You Can Remove It from Your Diet This Year, According to an Expert.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sugar-addiction-end-2022/. 

Hughes, Locke. “How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body?” WebMD, WebMD, 2022, https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body. 

Fritts, Janelle. “How Are Groceries, Candy, and Soda Taxed in Your State?” Tax Foundation, 22 Aug. 2022, https://taxfoundation.org/grocery-tax-candy-tax-soda-tax-2019/. 

Kemon, Katherine. “To Encourage Healthy Eating, Use the Carrot, Not Just the Stick: Think Global Health.” Council on Foreign Relations, 2019, https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/encourage-healthy-eating-use-carrot-not-just-stick. 

Cohut, Maria. “Review Confirms Link Between Sugary Drinks and Obesity.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 2018, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320493#The-link-between-sugary-drinks-and-obesity. 

“Get the Facts: Added Sugars.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Nov. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html. 

“How Much Sugar Is Too Much?” Www.heart.org, 2 June 2022, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much. 

“Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (Nash).” Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center, 1 Aug. 2018, https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/liver-kidneys-and-urinary-system/nonalcoholic-steatohepatitis-nash.html. “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 22 Sept. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354567.

How Food Impacts Behavior

By: Gabe Jackson 

Overview

Your body tells you you’re hungry as a sign of dissatisfaction. Maybe your blood sugar levels are too low, your stomach is just empty, or you’re experiencing stress of some kind. Think of a time when reaching a meal led to a full emotional shift. Looking back on my experiences, I remember times in class where I could not focus on the material because of underlying hunger. I had felt agitated and impatient, waiting for the time to be over and for a chance to eat. After doing so, all distress had been relieved. Food can impact your mood and body in major ways, be it due to intolerance, emotional distress, or your personality, and what you consume plays a role in its prominent effects.  

The Science Behind Hunger 

When gaining the sense of hunger, you often feel a physical response. Hunger signals are tied directly to your hormones, specifically ghrelin. Ghrelin is a fast-acting hormone produced in the stomach, pancreas, and brain.  It stimulates the release of additional growth hormones responsible for the breakdown of fat and growth of muscle and helps to keep glucose levels in check. Your body sees the highest levels of ghrelin on a completely empty stomach and low blood sugar levels, which decrease as you eat. Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain you no longer need to keep eating. After your first bite, ghrelin production is slowed, and leptin is amplified.  

Personality and Food Preference 

Multiple studies have taken place between the correlation of preferred flavor pathways and one’s personality. Food can be classified into five different pathways: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, or spicy. In 1961, Fischer studied the differences between supertasters, or individuals that exhibit more food dislikes than likes, and non-tasters. Exposing a group of individuals to each pathway of food and different Myers-Briggs personality tests, it was found that supertasters (those who experience taste with great intensity) tend to be more apprehensive, tense, and imaginative than non-tasters, and non-tasters (someone who has less taste perception) to be more relaxed and practical. The connection between food and emotional traits was also found, with supertasters more likely to experience depression, due to their increased sensitivity to their environments. 

Childhood Behavior and Food 
The food one has throughout their childhood has a much greater impact than one may think. There is a close linkage between consumption, behavioral issues and learning disorders.  

Dairy 

For some, dairy poses an issue. Common products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese can lead to irritability, inability to concentrate, and anxiety for those with dairy sensitivity and hyperactivity for those with ADHD. An increase in mood swings and headaches can also be found. Visible reactions, be it an itchy rash or swelling lips, can also indicate that a dairy allergy may be present, as well as digestive problems such as a stomachache. 

Gluten 

Gluten is an additional culprit for poor behavior throughout childhood. For those sensitive, irritability, aggressiveness, and hyperactivity can be found. Those with celiac disease can face anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, and sleep problems as well. Gluten activates zonulin,  an inflammatory protein responsible for closing gaps along the intestines and allowing food to pass into the bloodstream. Children with gluten sensitivities hold higher levels of zonulin, leading the gaps to stay open longer and allowing foreign particles to pass to the blood. This leads to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and celiacs disease, and the hinderance of the absorption of zinc, tryptophan, and vitamin B. 

Artificial Dyes 

Artificial food dye is found virtually everywhere in processed foods today. From cereal to juice, it is common for products tailored to young individuals to be bright and colorful, credited to dye. There is a direct correlation between hyperactivity and the following food dyes: Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Red 40. In the UK, these synthetic dyes are banned, but most processed food in the US contains them. Adverse behavioral outcomes and trouble learning in an educational setting have been seen as a result of the ingredient, due to restlessness and inattentiveness. The FDA has regulated what appropriate amounts of food dye intake per day looks like, as seen below: 

Synthetic food dye, legal limits, and where they’re found 

Emotional Eating 

In times of stress, bad mood, or difficulty, food can be a way to deal with negative emotions. The term ‘emotional eating’ can encompass an array of negative emotions; anxiety, loneliness, depression, and anger to name a few. When upset, the hormone cortisol is released into the body, making you crave sugary, salty, and fatty foods. As appetite increases, consumption of processed, ‘comfort’ foods follow, and the level of the hormone is reduced. Stress needs a ‘reward’ to be eliminated, be it a distraction or effort to improve the situation; food is often used in that way. While these practices may solve one’s distress in the short term, in the long-term cortisol levels can grow higher. Primarily due to the body’s adaptation to regular practice, it can be harder to decrease stress in the future and break the cycle of using food as a solution.  

Link 

One may argue that the betterment of one’s mental health, no matter what that looks like, overrides all other concerns as the brain controls every aspect of who we are. With that, however, can come damage to one’s physical health. Consistent emotional eating also puts the body at risk for developing health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This is often credited to a lack of access or resistance to treatment. I can distinctly remember times where food has been a source of relief for me in times of discomfort. School is often a stressor that can lead to emotional eating, and I was hit with a wave of assignments that felt impossible to complete. After stepping back from working and into consumption, I had felt replenished and refreshed, but only for a minimal time. Once the cycle of stress hit me again, I moved back to what had worked before.  

Consumption is connected to dopamine, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good. Being upset can be credited to low dopamine levels, creating an urge for them to be fulfilled, at times with food. Evidently, I had used food as my source as dopamine, which in the long term can blur the difference between physical and emotional hunger. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two, and below are their differences: 

Physical hunger: 

• Comes on gradually and can be postponed 
• Can be satisfied with any number of foods 
• Means you’re likely to stop eating when full 
• Doesn’t cause feelings of guilt 

Emotional hunger: 

• Feels sudden and urgent 
• May cause specific cravings 
• Can make you eat more than you normally would 
• Can cause guilt afterward 

To ensure healthy habits are made, it’s important to remember their defining traits.  

About the Author 

Hi, I am Gabe Jackson, a first-year student at Colorado State University studying Business Administration and concentrating in Marketing and International Business. I am from Oak Park, Illinois, right outside of Chicago. I enjoy music and being outdoors and am excited to be in Colorado for the next few years. I chose to be a part of the You Are What You Eat seminar because of a consistent love for food and cooking. I’ve found it great to learn more about how our relationship with food affects different aspects of our lives and the impact it can hold on the individual and the environment.   

Sources: 

“Are You Really Hungry? How to Your Understand Hunger Cues.” Pennmedicine.org, https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2020/april/how-to-understand-hunger-cues. 

T ML;, Klok MD; Jakobsdottir S; Drent. “The Role of Leptin and Ghrelin in the Regulation of Food Intake and Body Weight in Humans: A Review.” Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17212793/. 

“What Is Ghrelin?” You and Your Hormones, https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/ghrelin/. 

Vorvick, Linda J. “Break the Bonds of Emotional Eating.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000808.htm. 

McKay, Naomi, et al. “The Effect of Unhealthy Food and Liking on Stress Reactivity.” Physiology & Behavior, Elsevier, 22 Oct. 2020, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938420305308 

“Emotional Eating (for Teens) – Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Mary L. Gavin, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Apr. 2022, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-eating.html. 

Olsson, Regan. “Eat This Not That to Reduce Stress and Anxiety: Banner Health.” Eat This Not That to Reduce Stress and Anxiety| Banner Health, https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/better-me/can-certain-foods-increase-stress-and-anxiety. 

Konttinen, Hanna. “Emotional Eating and Obesity in Adults: The Role of Depression, Sleep and Genes: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 26 Mar. 2020, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/emotional-eating-and-obesity-in-adults-the-role-of-depression-sleep-and-genes/C69DF0C844DFF0DD87E99ECFA7B50D98. 

Myles, Faith S, et al. “Apa PsycNet.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-08830-008. 

“The Brain.” Saint Luke’s Health System, https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/brain. 

Lazarevich, Irina, et al. “Relationship among Obesity, Depression, and Emotional Eating in Young Adults.” Appetite, Academic Press, 9 Sept. 2016, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666316304597?casa_token=UEmi_lOm22MAAAAA%3AWcutACFqjOJ678bdgqHohQ_3pyzB71DpLZvbogH6nP-pJtVdBdnU-fLF_7kNxYvpJSIiUZWsSA. 

“Common Food Triggers of Behavioral Issues.” Brain Balance Achievement Centers, https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/common-food-triggers-of-behavioral-issues 

Van Meter, Anna R. “Does A Sensitive Palate Beget Sensitive Mood?” Google, Google, https://cdr.lib.unc.edu › downloads 

“Top Five Foods That Affect Child’s Mood and Behaviour and What to Do about It.” Nutritionist Resource, https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/memberarticles/top-five-foods-that-affect-childs-mood-and-behaviour-and-what-to-do-about-it#accept-cookies. 

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Do Not Forget to Count Your Calories

December 6, 2022

CSU Food Pantry 

By Kealoha Rumion

“We Can Never Afford That” 

Growing up with my single mom “we can never afford that,” was a phrase my ears seldom heard. I am blessed that I never went hungry. Living in America one can believe that once the mirage is unveiled, this country is dirty, deceitful, and deficient. I realize, finally in college, the woe and welcome of our food waste.  

Comfortably over dinner my mom expressed, “I was a single mom back then. We were the ‘needy.’ I was grateful for all the help and support.”   

To the Distant Relative it May Concern  

Thankfully, my college, Colorado State University (located in Fort Collins, Colorado), is not a mystery. It wears a recognizable price tag and bares teeth at cross town rivalries. The students and faculty members who attend CSU bleed green. I allude green to represent sustainability.  

CSU is a STAR certified institute. Top universities like Stanford University, Cornell University, and University of California, Berkeley adorn the STARS rating system. Being a ram comes with a certain appetite – we eat. The Housing & Dining Services of CSU host numerous busy students, faculty, and brief guests. There is the Lory Student Center and The Foundry among multiple express mini markets and coffee shops.  

CSU Housing and Dining services is committed to reducing its waste impact on the environment. Composting is a major zero-waste commitment and conscious environmental effort that flows throughout this university. The miracle workers of the green and gold, facilities management, compost many entities.  

Composting | Facilities Management 

Specifically, we compost at the all-you-can-eat dining halls. Yes – the distant relative. I deem the dining halls as a distant relative, because we all eat food differently. We snack, we cook, we go without food between classes due to inconvenience, we eat fast food, and we eat alone, or we eat together. Like the required freshman orientation or inclusive modules, I bet that we all have graced in some way one of the universities’ hubs which contain food. 

LSC | CSU 

Cheating Ourselves and I do not mean the Calories 

Health Conscious | New York Post 

Oscar composts the food. This 30-yd capacity compost bin is recycling time, effort, consideration, water, money, and privilege.  

In the Bridge program this summer, I saw students (“adults”) in their natural habitats. My eyes humbly grieved the plates of food that were slowly spun back to the dish pit. Food waste is almost inevitable. I mourn the copious amounts of food, because food waste is not a luxury. Wasted food is a culmination of grouch. We are cheating ourselves out of a healthy lifestyle, yet most students and faculty members at CSU value their health and well-being. Odd, isn’t it? 

Thrown away food means less calories. Less calories means less energy to go about daily tasks. Less energy translates into feeling less than good. Can our harmless choice of wasting food, regardless of whether it was eaten or uneaten – our fault or not, harm the world?  

Surprisingly, “two in three Americans credit the past two years with teaching them how important their health really is.” “In fact, 71% believe the pandemic has taught them to be more observant of their health.” We are concerned with our body image and what we feed ourselves. We have conscious space in our mind for ethics and health. Upon consideration of daily life on campus and off campus, we unintentionally waste massive amounts of food that give us energy. Wow, all that food potential going somewhere and nowhere at the same time. Rams do their best to take care of Rams, right? 

All You Can Eat or All You Can Stare 

Tucked behind in the General Services Building, CSU has a Rams Against Hunger food pantry. The brick-and-mortar location is a humble friend to “address financial stress and food insecurity among our CSU community.”  

If you have never felt the pangs of hunger, I envy you. The roaring rage of stomach growls are quite memorable. A few weeks ago, I visited our Rams food pantry and felt underwhelmed. My mind painted Disney magic on the food pantry. I envisioned the food pantry to be just like an American grocery store. The shelves stocked, brimming with fresh produce, and a selection of snacks. I was wrong! I filled out a small form for the Larimer County Food Bank and checked myself in. My jaw dropped and I caught myself staring in disbelief. There I stand within view of still-loveable potatoes and produce, a twenty-four package of Quakers chewy granola bars, day old dairy products, and stale bread.  

Walking around, the relatively new pantry has four pantry shelves, one professional grade fridge, one professional grade freezer, one metal wire storage shelf for household items (diapers etc.) and four rectangular preparation tables for fresh produce and bread (sometimes baked goods). This pantry is operated in a “client-choice shopping experience”. The Basic Needs Program Manager, Michael Buttram was stocking celery. We chatted for a moment about how his job is a gift. 

In a university environment, we are taught to be inclusive and welcoming. We admit to not knowing everything and our presence supports the following idea. I see empty shelves in the food pantry of where calories should be, I notice the brimming and bustling of buffet style dining halls, and I acknowledge our footprint of food waste. All humans are imperfect. 

“Oh, Maybe Another Time” 

Rather than “we can never afford that,” my mom always said “oh, maybe another time.” Colorado State University is rooted in traditions and new trajectories regarding sustainability and food. We boast football at home games and back the belief that the world can be better. If we eat too much, we compost. If we realize that students or faculty need food, we create pocket pantries. If we know about an issue, we do our best to remedy the situation. So, count the calories with me. 

With our combined knowledge of food and food waste, I believe we each can make a conscious effort to further the food waste movement. Right here at CSU or wherever you are, can compare and contrast to understand information. I can neither change your habits nor force you to care about food waste. Just look around and notice the complexities of us all. We are different in structure, but alike in nature. I am human and so are you. Some of us have less food than others, while others have more, or others have none.  

Maybe take a visit to the Rams food pantry or only eat what you can digest in the dining halls. We have the power in us to bleed green.  

Now I am telling you “oh, maybe another time,” we will count the calories. Whatever calories mean to you. 

About the Author 

I am attending Colorado State University as a first-year student. I am studying business administration with a dual concentration in marketing and computer information systems. My perspective originates from Long Beach, California and Kauai, Hawai’i where I was raised on treating people with kindness and staying competent. Whilst in the Honors program, I hope to knit together moments into a large informational quilt for graduation. I have always loved the beach and ocean, so my writing voice whispers dual-sided optimism. 

Tags 

SavetheFood 

Works Cited 

Bonvissuto, Danny. “Stomach Growl: Are You Hungry? or Just Full of Hot Air?” WebMD, WebMD, 2022. 

“Cam the Ram.” Alumni Association, Colorado State University, 16 Nov. 2022, alumni.colostate.edu/cam-the-ram/.  

“Cans around The Oval.” Lory Student Center, 27 Oct. 2022. 

“Color: Brand: Colorado State University.” Brand, 2022. 

“Colorado State University EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration.” Inter-Campus Collaboration | Colorado State University | Scorecard | Institutions | STARS Reports, 2019. 

“Colorado State University.” Health Network, health.colostate.edu/well-being/.  

“Colorado State University.” Housing Dining Services, 2022. 

“Colorado State University.” Zero Waste – Housing Dining Services, 2022. 

“Composting: Facilities Management: Colorado State University.” Composting | Facilities Management | Colorado State University, 2022. 

Deans, Emily. “Dieting Can Make You Lose Your Mind.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2011. 

“Dining at the Lory Student Center.” Lory Student Center, 9 Nov. 2022. 

“Ethics.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2022. 

“Food Waste.” Hsph.harvard.edu, Harvard T. H. Chan | School of Public Health, 2022. 

Giordano, Joe. “CSU Opening New Food Pantry to Fight Food Insecurity.” SOURCE, Colorado State University, 26 Jan. 2022. 

Goodkind, David. “Skipping Meals Hinders Academic Performance.” Daily Titan, 14 Nov. 2021. 

Gray, Richard. “Did Disney Shape How You See the World?” BBC Worklife, BBC, 2019. 

Mashak, Emily. “CSU Students Crush on These Craveable Fort Collins Restaurants.” Townsquare Fort Collins, 16 Feb. 2022. 

“Mission and Vision – CSU College of Business.” Business for a Better World, 2022. 

Nash, Kelsey. “5 Stats on How College Students Are Currently Eating.” FoodService Director, FoodService Director, 14 June 2021. 

“Oscar the Grouch Puppet.” Smithsonian Institution, 2022. 

“Other Research — Acceptance of Imperfection: Disability Studies Quarterly.” Other Research — Acceptance of Imperfection | Disability Studies Quarterly, 2001. 

Peterson, Lily. “Rams Take Care of Rams.” Campus Recreation, Nwasmund Https://Csurec.colostate.edu/Wp-Content/Uploads/2019/01/temp_header-300×27.Png, 2 Dec. 2020, csurec.colostate.edu/rams-take-care-of-rams/.  

“Principles of Community: Inclusive Excellence: Colorado State University.” Principles of Community | Inclusive Excellence | Colorado State University, 2022. 

“Quaker.” Quakeroats.com, 2022. 

“Rams Against Hunger.” Lory Student Center, 14 Nov. 2022. 

Ross, Ashley. “America’s First Supermarket at 100: How It Changed the World.” Time, Time, 9 Sept. 2016. 

“Stars, Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System.” The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, 27 Sept. 2022. 

SWNS. “Over 70 Percent of Americans Are More Health-Conscious Post-Pandemic.” New York Post, New York Post, 26 Oct. 2022. 

“United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 2022. 

Vann, Madeline R., et al. “Calories: How to Know If You Go Too Low – Weight Center – Everyday Health.” EverydayHealth.com, 2010. 

Wnet Group. “Comparing and Contrasting Information and Forming an Opinion – Santiago and Morris.” PBS LearningMedia, WNET, 22 Dec. 2020. 

Food as Fuel

By: Elise Kelley

Overview:  

Students at Colorado State University often want to be healthy, but find it hard with budgets, dining halls, and time. Therefore, individuals often determine that limiting food consumption/dieting is a healthy alternative to create a balance between “healthy” food and “unhealthy” food. However, eating 3 meals a day of nutritious and sustaining food is an excellent way to feel good and keep your body fueled for the full day. Creating discipline with incorporating nutritious foods into your body every day is an objective, yet this does not mean you ditch your “feel good” foods or treats with friends. Athletic activities pair greatly with eating, as they affect your emotional and physical state. The foods you eat fuel your body with nutrients which aid in muscle function, brain activity, building bones, muscles, and other tissues, and keep your heart beating. So, what you eat determines how you feel, act, and perform. This draws to the point that food is fuel, and this food can fuel you to tackle a long day at school, run on the treadmill, or even enjoy getting ice cream a late night with friends. 

Image: Fueling Foods 

Balanced Meals: 

By definition, a balanced meal is a “snapshot of a diet that covers the 3 core food groups.” Yet, balanced diets and meals go beyond simply what is on the plate. Diet culture often promotes limiting one’s food intake and skipping meals to be healthy. However, skipping meals has numerous health detriments and provides contradictory effects to the intention. For example, skipping meals causes the body to lower its metabolism, burn fewer calories, leave a tired feeling (due to lack of energy), and leads to weight gain when eating one’s typical amount of food. College students need to eat 3 whole meals a day where they can consume a balanced meal that will prepare them for the day. In the dining hall, it can be difficult to find fresh/whole ingredients. A way to incorporate fruits, veggies, and whole ingredients into one’s college diet is through finding the fruit and salad bars and getting fruits and veggies with each meal. A method to enact balanced meals is timing meals. By knowing when and what to eat, one can designate specific times in their schedule to prioritize eating and fueling themselves. Additionally, emphasizing what one will be eating ahead of time creates discipline in a healthy diet and prevents last minute unhealthy choices when one is hungry at mealtime. Now, we have talked about meals, but a large question remains. What about snacks? If one is eating healthy and sustaining meals, the urge to snack will dwindle. Additionally, healthy snacks such as fruits and veggies are much more sustaining than processed foods containing sugar/salt as those snacks will lead one to consume more and more. If you are feeling the need to snack, ask yourself if you are truly hungry. If not, you may be bored or longing for a treat. If you are truly hungry, aim to implement healthy and filling snacks such as vegetables to satisfy your hunger. 

Image: Exercise Benefits 

Exercising: 

 Exercising is an excellent way to improve one’s physical and mental health, and adequately consuming food before and after improves performance, maintains blood glucose levels, and provides the energy lost during exercise. When exercising often in college, it can be difficult to eat right in order to boost athletic performance and keep up with lost energy. Key foods to eat when living an active lifestyle includes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grain carbohydrates, and drinking plenty of fluids. By eating, one promotes the repair and building of muscle, so if you exercise to see results, eating enables you to grow that muscle. Additionally, exercise helps combat individuals who tend to overeat, because exercising burns calories and food is needed to replenish the energy lost. For me, I have set days and times when I exercise before/after class and designate those days for either cardio/weights. When I exercise, I feel far more in tune with my eating habits, make mindful choices, and overall feel much happier and more productive. I chose to incorporate exercise into the topic of fueling oneself with food, because exercise requires food, so if you love food like I do, you can enjoy eating while keeping a healthy lifestyle.  

Image: Intuitive Eating

Intuitive Eating: 

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, “intuitive eating is about trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or the influence of diet culture.” Intuitive eating is a major aspect of fueling yourself because it is hard to feel confident in eating, when skipping meals or not eating is glamorized. However, becoming in tune with your fullness and what your body truly wants when you feel hungry is the best way to fuel your body the way it needs, and feel confident doing it.  

10 principles of intuitive eating:  

1. Reject diet mentality 

2. Recognize your hunger 

3. Make peace with food 

4. Challenge “food police” (“good”/”bad” foods) 

5. Feel your fullness 

6. Discover the satisfaction factor (sitting down and enjoying food) 

7. Cope with feelings without using food 

8. Respect your body (everyone’s body is different and needs different amounts of food) 

9. Exercise and feel the difference 

10. Honor your health (make choices you find satisfying) 

“Fun” Foods: 

Having a healthy lifestyle does not mean you have to miss out on “fun” foods. “Fun” foods are foods that you enjoy and consider treats. Examples of this include going out with friends and getting ice cream, having a pizza on a late night, or any food that is not a “healthy” food that you enjoy on occasion and experience happiness from. Things to remember when eating your fun foods are that slips do not mean a fall. This means that one meal or one day of eating unhealthy will not make a long-term difference. It is perfectly okay to eat unhealthy foods in small amounts and not very often. Commonly, individuals have their own foods that they highly enjoy and eating them brings satisfaction. When going out with friends and eating burgers and ice cream, it is better to enjoy your food, rather than limiting yourself and creating an unhealthy relationship with the idea of food. Additionally, indulging in fun foods on occasion can increase social and mental health. In my life I have often found it hard to enjoy my fun foods, because I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for eating it in the first place. However, as I prioritized exercise and healthy eating, I grew to love indulging in my fun foods on occasion and found much comfort in this occasion. Ultimately, it is important to focus on healthy eating in one’s daily life, while also having a healthy relationship with food by eating what you enjoy on occasions.  

About the Author: 

Hi, I’m Elise Kelley and a freshman at Colorado State University in the Honors program. I am majoring in English literature with a minor in legal studies. My honors class You Are What You Eat follows the varying topics and perspectives of food and how they play a role in our lives, culture, politics, and selves. I am a very active person and like to incorporate athletic activities into my everyday life, while balancing school, friends, and free time. Thus, I find what I fuel myself with and treat my body to be of utmost importance and how to balance what foods I eat and when. 

References: 

• “Food as Fuel: Care Instructions.” MyHealth.Alberta.ca Government of Alberta Personal Health Portal, https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=ud1672. 

• Abigail. “Curb the Cravings: How to Train Yourself to See Food as Fuel.” The Everygirl, 14 Oct. 2021, https://theeverygirl.com/how-to-train-yourself-to-see-food-as-fuel/. 
• Scribe. “Nutrition for Your Life: Eat to Fuel, Not Fill: Western Wisconsin Health.” WW Health, Western Wisconsin Health, 14 Sept. 2020, https://www.wwhealth.org/nutrition-for-your-life-eat-to-fuel-not-fill/. 
• “10 Principles of Intuitive Eating.” Intuitive Eating, 19 Dec. 2019, http://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/. 
• “What Is Intuitive Eating? A Nutritionist Explains.” Cedars, https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/what-is-intuitive-eating.html. 
• “Here’s What to Eat before and after a Workout.” Hospital for Special Surgery, https://www.hss.edu/article_eat-before-after-workout.asp. 

• “Maximize Your Workout by Knowing What – and When – to Eat.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 18 Dec. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045506. 
• “Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine.” Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine – School of Medicine University of Louisville, https://louisville.edu/medicine/departments/familymedicine. 
• “Node View.” Healthy Snacks for Adults | HealthLink BC, https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/healthy-snacks-adults. 
• Helfferich, Rachel. “Why There Are No ‘off-Limit’ Foods with Intuitive Eating.” Why There Are No “Off-Limit” Foods with Intuitive Eating |, 10 July 2020, https://everglownutrition.com/why-there-are-no-off-limit-foods/. 
• “Benefits of Physical Activity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 June 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm. 
• “What Is Intuitive Eating?” WebMD, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-intuitive-eating. 

FAST FROM

By Luke Spencer

What about fast food diets….

Image 1: Unhealthy Fast Food

Students at Colorado State University (CSU) are provided with five dining halls and a plethora of restaurants at the Lory Student Center. Yet most of these options are fast food centered which does not provide students with the proper nutrition to keep their bodies running at the high capacity needed for college. Instead of being nutrition-rich food options, students are getting food primarily rich in sugar, fat, and salt. Even though I consider myself to be very disciplined I find it very hard to resist the countless temptations of these fast-food options. I do not believe students should completely cut out these fast-food options from their diet. But I do believe fast food should not be a staple in students’ diets instead need to be eating mostly fresh food. This brings me to my main point; fast food-centered diets cause extreme health issues both physical and mental while also hindering the academic success of students.

Image 2: Hindrance in Academics

Hindrance to growth

Fast and cheap. Fast food seems like the perfect match for a college student who is always short on time and money. While fast food stops here and there would not hurt anyone, regular visits have detrimental effects on students’ academic success. A study,  by Kelly M. Purtell at Ohio State found that high levels of fast food consumption led to lower growth in math, science, and English. Although the study illustrated how it was only problematic if eating fast food was a regular in the diets of the students, thus once again affirming students would not have to completely give up fast food. A 2020 study published in the Journal of American College Health provides statistically significant evidence that students who had fast food seven times or more in a week reported significantly lower GPAs than those students have past food less than three times a week. These studies reveal the real relationship between students’ increased fast food consumption and their lower GPAs.

It only gets worse….

 Students’ dietary habits fail to support their scholastic purpose and are hurting their learning abilities. Sadly, these dietary habits tend to worsen further as students progress through their college education. Meaning older students are being adversely affected by their dietary choices while also being faced with more challenging course loads. The whisker plot below exposes the correlation between heavy fast-food consumption and decreased GPAs. At CSU after freshman year many students must provide their meal plans which leads students into falling into the fast-food trap. So, if fast food has been linked to decreased GPA why do universities still promote the fast-food industry and lack fresh food alternatives? This is due to college eating habits being an under-studied area because researchers often focus on risker health behaviors such as drug and alcohol usage. This problem is fueled by the lack of fresh food available at universities since most fast-food restaurants don’t offer fresh fruit, vegetables, or food as a standard food option. CSU is in the same boat, if students want to get fresh food, they cannot go to the food court to find it. They would have to leave campus to find fresh food if they do not have a meal plan for the dining halls.  If fast food was not readily available and not being constantly advertised students would be less inclined to make it a staple of their diet. Although food is not the only factor in determining a student’s success, colleges can control it. CSU should put more emphasis on providing fresh food alternatives to fast food on campus and this would lead to a positive correlation between healthier dietary habits and increased academic performance.

Image 3: Whisker Plot of student’s GPA

Fast Food Diet Mental Effects

Fast food has long been linked to obesity but affects so much more. Especially in college the mental consequences of eating fast food have the worst outcomes on college students. It is well known that fast food tends to be high in salt, sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, calories, and processed preservatives and ingredients which have proven negative health benefits. But a lesser-known effect is these foods have been prone to depression and anxiety. A 2021 study published by the National Library of Medicine found an association between healthy foods such as leafy greens, nuts, and fish and reduced depression in people. In addition, women were significantly more negatively impacted by fast food. Although many people have depression and anxiety, what comes next from a fast-food diet is the dangerous part for college students. The first year of college is critical in determining the future eating habits of a student, so developing healthy eating behaviors is ever so important. Therefore, with a lack of food education and proper nutrition options, this stage is the trigger for the appearance of eating disorders.

Eating through the brain

Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses linked to a distorted perception of one’s own body and bodily dissatisfaction and are characterized by marked alterations in behavior and excessive concern for weight and/or body shape. Even though I do not have any eating disorders I often struggle with making healthy eating choices when I am hungry because of fast-food proximity. My sister a former CSU residential assistant explained students with eating disorders can’t even comprehend how serious the issue is because they are blinded to the effects. Though it should be noted eating disorders only affect a small part of the population. But if not handled properly the effects worsen the longer, they stay in college.

Physical Effects

The most obvious and pressing issue of fast food at colleges, CSU included is weight gain. Everything starts with the portion sizes. Fast food has excellent scheming in which they have value meals, but those value meals have portions way bigger than the food a person would cook for themselves. Combined with the fact that most of the calories are from highly processed carbohydrates means people will end up being hungry again in just a few hours leading to snacking. I will confess I always need a late-night snack after dinner and salt is always the main ingredient in those snacks. The carbs from those late-night snacks get transferred right into fat since they are excess calories. The problem is if students keep up these dietary habits they are walking straight into obesity and people can no longer ignore the issue of obesity because 1/3 of college students in America have obesity based on a 2021 study published by the Obesity Medicine Association. In addition, the fast food-fueled diet of refined carbs and sugar causes a spike in blood sugar followed by a quick crash. This spike and crash often leave people very tired and with a lack of energy which forces college students to repeat this negative feedback cycle.  The lack of energy often leads college students to sugary drinks which has the same effect, and the excess sugar is once again turned into fat. The physical effects of a fast-food diet are just like dominos, once the first one falls, other ones are already falling, and it is so hard to stop the cycle because the effects escalate with time.

Image 4: Fort Collins farmers market

Healthy diet situation?

The first step in developing healthy eating habits is proper education, students should be taught the responsibility of arranging their meal plans. Wielding that education, students could create a healthier and more cost-effective method than the campus meal plan. Having to buy healthier foods and cook would create positive habits while also helping with weight loss given the loss of excess carbs and smaller portion sizes. The second step is providing a variety of healthy foods and changing the menus regularly in the campus dining halls. Dining halls need to factor in the demographics of the college to cater to diverse plates. CSU campus dining is a great example of catering meal plans to include diverse options that represent the minorities on campus. But to go a step further the dining halls should reduce portion sizes and create labels on the food that distinguishes healthy food from unhealthy food. These labels would provide students with another level of support in picking healthy foods while also limiting the intake of unhealthy foods. I feel like this would be the biggest help to students in the dining halls because that added nutrition guide advising against certain foods would make students think twice before eating since they know it’s not good for them.

Not Hopeless

However, fixing the meal plans is only part of the solution. The solution’s more challenging yet rewarding part would be providing college students with lower rates and coupons for local grocery stores. But the proposed solution I think would best provide students with healthy food options would be to hold a weekly farmers market on campus. If CSU made the effort to affiliate with local markets, it would provide students with cheap and available fresh food instead of the fast food they have become reliant on.  

Viability for CSU and students?

Providing a farmers market could only work if there was enough student interest and there was a true economic gain for the university. Convincing most students to ditch the delicious fast-food diet to go to a farmers’ market diet could be a long stretch. Although I do believe a big minority of students could be convinced to switch to the good side once they see the health and economic benefits. Thus, supporting the local farmers’ market would stimulate the local economy by creating economic development and job growth. CSU could use this as leverage to get funding from the state since they are fueling economic local growth. Combined with CSU reforming the dining hall nutrition, I believe more students would get meal plans instead of choosing fast food options which would provide CSU with a huge economic boost.

About the Author

I’m a freshman at CSU planning on getting a statistics degree with a sports management minor. I grew up in Fort Collins so was very familiar with all CSU and all the restaurants in the area. But I didn’t discover my passion for a healthy diet until I got to college and didn’t have the privilege of all my food being made for me. A healthy diet is an important part of who I am because I love running and being outdoors and a healthy diet ensures I have the fitness to continue doing what I love. Trying to help provide my classmates with awareness on this critical topic to their health and schooling success.

References

Dominko, Mura. “The Top 6 Unhealthiest Fast-Food Restaurants, According to New Data.” Eat This Not That, 21 Sept. 2020, www.eatthis.com/top-six-unhealthiest-fast-food-restaurants-according-to-new-data. (1)

Svokos, Alexandra. “Children Who Eat More Fast Food Show Less Academic Improvement, Study Shows.” HuffPost, 23 Dec. 2014, www.huffpost.com/entry/fast-food-school-effects_n_6369284. (2)

Peter R. Reuter, Bridget L. Forster & Sierra R. Brister (2020): The influence of eating habits on the academic performance of university students, Journal of American College Health, https://www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/rehabilitationsciences/files/The_influence_of_eating_habits_on_the_academic_performance_of_university_students_2020.pdf (3)

“Is Fast Food Bad for You? All You Need to Know About Its Nutrition and Impacts.” Journal of American College Health, 17 Dec. 2021, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847. (4)

Vila-Martí, A., Elío, I., & Sumalla-Cano, S. (2021). Eating Behavior during First-Year College Students, including eating disorders—RUVIC-RUN EAT-TCA Project. Protocol of an Observational Multicentric Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189457 (5)

“Here’s How Fast Food Can Affect Your Body.” Cleveland Clinic, 27 Jan. 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-how-fast-food-can-affect-your-body/ (6)

Obesity Medicine Association. “Obesity Care in College Students in the US.” Obesity Medicine Association, 22 July 2022, https://obesitymedicine.org/obesity-care-in-college-students-in-the-us/ (7)

Ingram, Ceara. “3 Fort Collins Farmers Markets (and Pop-up Markets) You’ll Love.” The Armstrong Hotel, 6 June 2022, https://thearmstronghotel.com/news/3-fort-collins-farmers-markets-and-pop-up-markets-youll-love/ (8)