How Healthy Are VCU Students?

Walking, jogging, or riding a bike, along with eating a balanced meal each day contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
While most of these activities routinely take place at Virginia Commonwealth University, Katie Vatalaro Hill, assistant director of the Wellness Resource Center says that one in three of VCU students are overweight or obese.
VCU’s Institutional Data Report’s 2009 study shows that VCU students do not consume enough fruits and vegetables. Hill says there are a variety of healthy choices to eat on and around campus. But when new students enter Shafer Dining Court, students tend to over do it with its all-you-can eat food stations.
Hill encourages freshmen to go to Shafer when they are hungry, not starving. This way they don’t eat in excess. Hill also suggests that students first walk around the dining hall to survey the options before selecting their meal. This will help them avoid piling too much food on their plate.
Eating too much at once slows down the metabolism, she said.
Many students enter their first year of college fearing the freshmen fifteen or gaining weight their first year of college.
“You come into college, a new environment, whether it’s eating, drinking, partying or not taking care of yourself; you can easily gain weight because you are not in the same atmosphere as you used to be,” says Vanessa Elam, a junior at VCU.
Hill says the freshman fifteen is a myth because studies have not proven it to exist among college campuses.
According to VCU’s spring 2009 Institutional Data Report, 61 percent of students only have one to two servings of fruits and vegetables per day where they should have five servings per day.
Elam believes the survey is accurate when it comes to the fruit intake. Shafer Dining Court and other eateries serves salads and wraps, but “besides that it’s really just hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza.”
Elam thinks she is getting the necessary vegetable intake, but not with her fruits. She believes one reason why students do not eat fruit is because the fruit choices are not appealing.
“Vegetables are okay but the fruit could probably pick it up a little bit, said Elam.
Hill says that students also fall short of making the right choices because of the time constraints and budget issues. Students’ schedules don’t allot enough time to make wise healthy choices so they resort to a grab- and-go nutrition.
“Sometimes they’ll sacrifice their health in order to get everything done that they need to get done,” says Hill.
For example, many students go the entire day without eating, only to end up eating pizza or fast foods late at night. Everyone should eat every three to four hours; breakfast, lunch, a healthy snack, and dinner. Or depending on the person’s schedule, Hill recommends breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack, if they like staying up really late. Either way it is important not to miss meals, she said.
Students often make the mistake thinking eating too much is the only contribution to weight gain. Overeating, lack of exercise, sleep, stress and genetics all plays a role into weight gain. Because college students do not get enough sleep they tend to eat and drink to stay awake even if they are not hungry.
“But exercise helps boost energy,” says Hill, and also helps combat stress.
“Exercise is extremely important for college students,” says Dr. Eric West, assistant director of Recreational Sports Fitness Programs. He says exercising helps students study better, retain more information, relieve stress and improves self-esteem.
Ana Sanchez has worked out for most of her life and now works out three to four times a week and enjoys it.
“It gives me energy, wakes up my body to keep going and studying,” says Sanchez.
Although college is stressful and time consuming, students can get their health habits on the right track by practicing some small changes. Setting a curfew to not eat past at night, eat more meals a day with fruits and vegetables, and walk, don’t drive to class.
VCU’s Wellness Resource Center has a registered dietitian to answer questions and point students in the right direction. The center also provides outreach programs for different organizations on campus.
“College student are healthy, but they can be healthier,” said Hill.