Unhealthy habits of university students could lead to future health problems

A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventative Medicine Reports by a group of international researchers has found that post-secondary students with unhealthy eating habits can go on to suffer from disease and mental health issues for years to come.

A steady diet of late night pizza, binge-drinking and sugary breakfast cereals is the norm for many post-secondary students, and new research suggests the lifestyle can cause harm that goes beyond gaining the proverbial freshman 15.

A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventative Medicine Reports by a group of international researchers has found post-secondary students with unhealthy eating habits can go on to suffer from disease and mental health issues for years to come.

The research team examined nearly 12,000 medical students from 31 universities across China. 50.1 per cent of study participants had unhealthy eating habits—including eating sweets, fatty foods and overeating calories—while 24.9 per cent self-reported having chronic or infectious disease, or mental disorders.

Researchers said the study sheds some light on how unhealthy eating habits are associated with diseases and mental disorders, and "offers further support for a possible causal linkage."

"The findings underscore the importance of addressing OEB (obesity-related eating behaviours) in programs and policies to support disease prevention and health promotion among university students," researchers said in the study.

It was not possible for the study to show a cause and effect relationship, according to Dr. Joan Bottorff, professor with the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s School of Nursing and one of the researchers who conducted the study.

“It is well documented that a significant portion of students have unhealthy diets," Bottorff said in a press release. "The types of foods they are eating are linked to obesity. And this can lead to other health problems that are not just about chronic disease but also infectious diseases."