2008 Woodie Awards
Q&A with Dowell Health Center's Dr. Jane Halpern
Eats | 4/7/08
-What are some of the biggest mistakes college students make when it comes to eating?
Not eating breakfast I think is one of the biggest. I think it has been shown time and time again to maintain a healthy weight, eating a good solid breakfast is key. It gives your body energy and it also leads to less weight gain. Many college students seem to skip breakfast. We see it all the time here. Other mistakes include not always being conscious of what is good food, what is good nutrition, what kind of snacks if you're snacking would be healthier than others and a tendency to eat fast foods. I know some students are getting into vegetarianism and health conscious kinds of eating. I think the temptation because it is easy and available and quick to eat fast food is probably a mistake, just because so much of it is fried or is not prepared with good products. There are differences. I'm not putting all fast foods in the same bucket, but some things are better than others. I think people don't realize how many calories things like beer have. Beer and alcohol in general has a lot of empty calories. So I don't think people realize that when they go out drinking that it has an additional effect other than getting you drunk, but you're also consuming a lot of calories.
-What are some of the negative health effects of energy drinks?
Energy drinks, like Red Bull and things like that have an enormous amount of caffeine in them. Some caffeine is fine, but caffeine can have negative health effects when you have too much of it, for example it can make you jittery. You get addicted to caffeine like you do to many other things, so if you try to cut back after awhile you can feel not very well. Again, depending on what's in the drink there can be a lot of calories but there is no nutritional value.
-How does not keeping a balanced diet affect classroom performance?
I think if you have periods of high and low blood sugar because of the way you eat or don't eat, that can certainly affect your ability to concentrate. So, again, people who skip breakfast for example, who rush out to class, their minds may not be functioning optimally because their blood sugar may be low. I think it is a little harder to draw a direct correlation between if you eat enough fruits and vegetables and your class performance. I think that has more to do with your overall health.
Not eating breakfast I think is one of the biggest. I think it has been shown time and time again to maintain a healthy weight, eating a good solid breakfast is key. It gives your body energy and it also leads to less weight gain. Many college students seem to skip breakfast. We see it all the time here. Other mistakes include not always being conscious of what is good food, what is good nutrition, what kind of snacks if you're snacking would be healthier than others and a tendency to eat fast foods. I know some students are getting into vegetarianism and health conscious kinds of eating. I think the temptation because it is easy and available and quick to eat fast food is probably a mistake, just because so much of it is fried or is not prepared with good products. There are differences. I'm not putting all fast foods in the same bucket, but some things are better than others. I think people don't realize how many calories things like beer have. Beer and alcohol in general has a lot of empty calories. So I don't think people realize that when they go out drinking that it has an additional effect other than getting you drunk, but you're also consuming a lot of calories.
-What are some of the negative health effects of energy drinks?
Energy drinks, like Red Bull and things like that have an enormous amount of caffeine in them. Some caffeine is fine, but caffeine can have negative health effects when you have too much of it, for example it can make you jittery. You get addicted to caffeine like you do to many other things, so if you try to cut back after awhile you can feel not very well. Again, depending on what's in the drink there can be a lot of calories but there is no nutritional value.
-How does not keeping a balanced diet affect classroom performance?
I think if you have periods of high and low blood sugar because of the way you eat or don't eat, that can certainly affect your ability to concentrate. So, again, people who skip breakfast for example, who rush out to class, their minds may not be functioning optimally because their blood sugar may be low. I think it is a little harder to draw a direct correlation between if you eat enough fruits and vegetables and your class performance. I think that has more to do with your overall health.
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