Obesity is rising among college students, with three out of ten found to be overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as a BMI over 30% and can cause health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. College students may be gaining weight due to unhealthier lifestyles than in the past and developing unhealthy relationships with food. Their eating habits include consuming more carbonated drinks and high-sugar foods instead of the recommended fruits and vegetables. Psychological influences can also contribute to obesity by impacting self-esteem and distorting perceptions of food.

1. Obesity in College
Students
Ashley Scott

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

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

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

6. Photo courtesy of
http://interacc.typepad.com/synthesis/2009/11/absurdity.html

7. Obesity Related Health
Problems
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Stroke
• Type II diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Respiratory problems
• Cancer

8. Why are college students
gaining weight?
• There are a few theories on why obesity is rising
in college students:
• College students are leading unhealthier lifestyles
than in the past,
• More and more college students are developing an
unhealthy relationship with food.

9. Poll
How many of you believe you eat the
proper servings of vegetables and
fruits daily?

10. USDA portion
recommendations

12. Unhealthy eating habits

13. Unhealthy eating habits
• “I try to create a compromise with my
patients, swapping pizza for an apple.”
- Jeanette Andrade, Dietician at
McKinley Health Center

14. “Late Night”
Photo courtesy of http://guysandgoodhealth.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/tax-
junk-food/

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

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

17. Healthy habits
• Reducing consumption of carbonated and high-
sugar beverages,
• Reducing consumption of foods high in sugar
content,
• Eating more fruits and vegetables,
• Monitoring proportions, and
• Drinking more water (United States Department of
Health and Human Services, 2010).

18. Unhealthy relationships with
food
• Psychological influences are one of the leading
causes of obesity today in adolescents
(Sparling, 2007).
Photo courtesy of http://www.serpholicmedia.com/news/belly-fat-greater-risk-
people-clogged-arteries-19196/

19. Psychological impact of
obesity
• Damaging to a person’s self-esteem.

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

22. Conclusion
• Obesity can cause many health risks.
• College students are gaining weight because of
unhealthy eating habits.
• College students are gaining weight because of
unhealthy relationships with food.