Food is a common way people deal with their problems. In college, students really enjoy food and it is important that they eat well. Many different things have causes and effects on food, including stress. When people are stressed, they cope with the problem by eating too much or not eating enough. In any case, these are not good ways to deal with stress. Food does many different things for our bodies, including giving us energy, keeping us warm, and helping us function both mentally and physically. Different foods serve different purposes, so it is very important to eat well-balanced meals with a variety of food groups. College students have difficulty eating well; one thing college students ask themselves and others is “How do you not get freshman 15?” Well, the key would be to eat healthy, but if it were that easy, freshman 15 wouldn't be a thing. Students put their health at risk because they pay attention to what is cheap, quick, and easy rather than what is healthy for them. They don't pay attention to the consequences of unhealthy eating and the different ways it can affect your life. For example, having physical, emotional, mental, social and academic problems. Eating properly is a health concern and can affect how you function in daily life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Fast food: it's delicious, fast and cheap. In some places you don't even have to get out of your car to get your food. For university students, things are no better. This is what most college students think, and they know that fast food is unhealthy, but for most the convenience outweighs the “unhealthy.” Students tend to continue to choose fast food to “fuel” their bodies. If you can call it that. A study by Sogari, Velexz-Argumedo, Gómez and Mora states that “although health seemed to be important for everyone when choosing food, students did not consider health as the most important factor, but usually pleasure and taste” ( Sogari, Velexz-Argumedo, Gómez, Mora). However, many different things play into these decisions: one is money and another is convenience. It's expensive to eat healthy foods as an adult, let alone a college student living alone for the first time. Of course, fast food will be an easy way out. Weather also plays a big role in not eating healthily. If someone is hungry and has a lot to do, they most likely won't take the time to stop and eat a good, complete, healthy meal. Instead, they will choose the fastest option that will suffice for the time being, which in most cases would be some sort of fast food. These are not good reasons to eat this food. Fast food is fattening and contains a lot of calories, which can ultimately lead to health problems. For example, Healthline states: “No amount of trans fat is good or healthy. Eating foods that contain it can increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), lower good HDL cholesterol, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease' (Pietrangelo, Carey, & Holland, 2018). Fast food is simply the easiest way to take care of hunger quickly. Universities make it so easy for college students to get trapped. For example, Colorado Mesa University has over 15 fast-food restaurants that are located on campus or within a reasonable walking distance of campus. For example, while I was sitting here writing this article, I was taken out to eat some Chick-fil-a. I went to get some food from here because I needed something,fast, cheap and delicious. In that case I got my needs met, but on the other hand I feel kind of gross and unhealthy. Being a college student at Colorado Mesa University, my eating habits have changed a lot. I grew up eating very healthy. I grew up in Durango, Colorado, which is a small town community. My family and I would bike downtown to the local farmers market every weekend and get food there. Then we would go to the local health food shop and only on one occasion would we go to the city market, which my mother would consider a rather unhealthy shop. Growing up like this I was very limited by so called “unhealthy food”, we never got fast food and treats were special occasions. When I was given freedom and independence, I took advantage of it and ate unhealthy foods. This is the case for many college students. For example, going to get fast food, eating all the sweets they want and more. If someone is unhealthy, it is difficult for them to stay happy and enjoy things. This is what I try to avoid doing. It's hard for some people to believe that there is a connection between the food we eat and our mental health. There have been studies that have shown this to be true. One source even gave it a name: “Food-Mood Connection.” There are some things you need to focus on to give your body the right food to have the best mental health possible for you. If you don't want food to affect your mental health, then there are some things you need to pay attention to, such as eating patterns and the things you eat, when you eat them. Knowing what foods you are putting into your body along with the amount you are putting into your body is important because it can affect you in different ways. Another reason why students tend to eat unhealthy is because of the amount of food that is served in restaurants. cafeteria. Most students living on campus are required to have a meal plan. The cafe is open most of the day with a wide variety of food options to eat. This, in turn, makes it difficult for students to eat healthily due to the amount of food served. You always have the option to go up and get more food. You can have a five-course meal in one sitting. At Colorado Mesa University, food is provided by a company called Sodexo. Karina Krul, student life editor, said, “Sodexo provides food to over 500 school districts and 850 universities and over 800 different countries” (Krul, 2017). Sodexo has been given an F food rating, meaning their food is of poor quality. Sodexo says they are "revamping" their recipes, but these "revamped recipes" are just food from the previous day in a different form. Karina states that “Sodexo gives the illusion of having healthy food” (Krul, 2017). For example, students say, “Food may seem healthy, but it is heavily processed and full of carbohydrates, fats, and chemicals” (Krul, 2017). For me, the first thing that comes to mind is why would anyone want to put chemicals into their body. When you eat food with chemicals, it will affect your body in a negative way and could make you sick or just gain weight. This is partly why college students have trouble eating and staying healthy when they are in college. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay College students need to eat healthy because it helps their emotional and physical health and, overall, helps them have energy. College students are constantly.