Download Eating Habits Among Lebanese Students

Eating Habits Among Lebanese
Students
Presented by:
Mona Menhem
Peer influence
Most college students
are out on their own
for the first time
when they go to
college.
However, they often
end up suffering from
poor dietary habits
that lead them to
gain weight and even
become
malnourished.
Understanding the
bad dietary habits of
college students can
help you avoid falling
into the same habits.
Average College Student's Diet
College students generally have very poor diet
habits.:
They eat too much junk food
They do not eat breakfast at all before
classes
They cram as much food as they can in
during their lunch break.
They have little variety in their diet and often
turn to high-fat snacks.
they often eat more than they think they are
eating."
Reasons for unhealthy eating habits
lack of money
Eating healthy can be expensive
College is inordinately expensive
A lack of time
many high energy-dense foods are not
only the least expensive
The full-time student usually has 12 to 16
hours of class per week
the "buffet" variety in cafeterias
Poor eating habits are an
important public health
issue that has large health
and economic
implications.
Many food preferences are
established early,
Why
This
Topic?
This
Topic?wwhy this topic?
Why
but
because people make
more and more
independent eating
decisions as they move
through adolescence,
the transition to
independent living during
the university days is an
important event.
Background
To study the phenomenon of food
selection, a survey was applied to
predict the likelihood of healthy
eating among university students
Objective of the study


To assess the
prevalence of
overweight and
obesity on a sample
of students from the
Lebanese University
(in Beirut) and
To educate college
students healthy
eating habits

To examine their
eating habits.

To promote healthy
eating habits through
nutrition and health
programs
Study Sample
50 participants
Age: between 18 and 23 years of age
Subjects are from lebanese university and
LIU
Methodology
Design and sample
cross-sectional survey conducted at the
Lebanese Universities during the fall 2012
semester.
Students were recruited randomly.
Students who agreed to participate in this
study were asked to fill out a selfreported questionnaire that included
questions on their eating, drinking and
smoking habits
Data Collection
was done by filling out the questionnaire.
Information obtained included:
 questions on frequency of their meals and snacks,
 questions on their consumption of vegetables, fruits,
beans, grains,
 questions on their consumption of fatty foods, sugars,
 questions on dairy products,
 questions on their consumption of meats,
 and questions related to their lifestyle practice, such
as physical activity.
Data on food intake consisted of a 24-hour dietary
recall and was obtained by interviewing the study
population.
After filling out the questionnaire, anthropometric
measurements, such as weight and height, and body
mass index, were done.
Results
Students' weight status based on
BMI categories
 The outcome of this study indicated that
the majority of the students (60%) were
of normal weight
 the prevalence of overweight was 20%
whereas 10 % of the female students
were underweight.
 And, the prevalence of obesity was 10%.

The majority (60%)
reported taking meals
regularly by eating 3 meals
per day whereas the
remaining 40% were
skipping meals.
50% of the female students
showed healthier eating
habits than the others in
terms of daily breakfast
intake.
In addition, the majority
70% of these students never
drink milk,
Intake of colored vegetables and
fruits was common among
students.
However, these students had
significantly higher intake of
total fat, saturated fat and
dietary cholesterol and lower
intake of polyunsaturated fat,
monounsaturated fat. T
these students also had higher
amounts of energy from fat
since fast food is included in
their diet 4-5 times per week. ,
6% reported that they are
following health diet and they
never eat fast food
Caffeinated and sugar
containing beverages intake
were common among
students;
Daily intake of snacks apart
from regular meals was
common among these 50
female students as they
included them daily in their
diet.
Cooking with too much salt
and salting food before tasting
it was common among 60% of
these students while the
remaining students did not
cook with too much salt.

Discussion
Based on BMI classification of weight
status, findings of this study indicate that
the majority of students were of normal
weight.
The lower rate of obesity among female
students is expected since females are
more cautious about their weight status
than males, due to society perceptions
which encourage females to be slender.
In this study, data analyses of students' eating habits
revealed that the majority of students eat meals
regularly and eat breakfast daily.
The majority of students believe that eating meat,
vegetables and other foods will provide them with a
balanced diet.
Daily intake of snacks was reported by the majority
of students.
The unhealthy eating habit of students was noticed in
the intake of fast food (majority reported eating fast
food three or four times per week).
Frequent snacking and eating fried food can adversely
affect students' health status, given the abundance of
energy dense and high fat ingredients they contain.
Improving students'
knowledge about nutrition
and healthy eating habits
may promote healthy body
weight management among
students
and
reduce the prevalence of
overweight and obesity.
In addition, developing
nutrition education
programs that promote
healthy eating habits for
university students should
be encouraged.
Avoiding Poor Habits
It can be really hard for college students to
avoid these habits.
They are simply the easiest ways for them to
eat,
And
breaking the cycle of poor diet can be
expensive and time-consuming.
It's important to have a balanced
diet.
Instead of grabbing that
extra slice of pizza at the
cafeteria,
Grab an apple and an orange.
They'll have fewer calories, but
much more nutrition and
provide more energy!!
Drink water instead of soda.
Water is free, and this can
help students on a tight
budget.
Don't buy high-calorie ramen noodles--buy wholewheat spaghetti and low-fat sauce.
Top 10 Tips for Eating Healthy
in College
1. Sneaky
Snacks:
Eating fruits and
veggies are also a
perfect snack time
option.
2. Don't "Do Lunch"
Every Day.
It's a typical social
activity to meet friends
for lunch, dinner,
coffee, or dessert.
Don't make 'meeting
for lunch' a regular
social activity, but find
other ways to
socialize.
3. Food Fuel:
"Large quantities of
caffeine are not good for
anyone and even if these
drinks are fortified with
some vitamins this does
not classify them as a
health food."
College students who
skip meals in favor of
energy drinks and pots
of coffee need to focus
on fueling with lean
meats, vegetables, fresh
fruit, and milk or light
yogurt.
Be the
"Designated
Driver."
4.
Eating late at night
while studying or
partying is a major
temptation, but you
should do your
best to consume all
or most of your
calories before 7:00
pm.
5. Find a Routine
That Works.
The first week or
two of college is
often overpowering,
but once you get
used to your class
schedule, it's
important to figure
out convenient times
when you are free to
eat meals.
6. Get an "A" in
Fitness.
An article about
eating healthy
wouldn't be
complete without
nutrition's partner-incrime: exercise.
Colleges often offer
physical education
classes, which make it
easier to stay fit.
7.Your best choices to
buy.
Whether you are still
living in the dorms or
are living on your own
in your first apartment,
visiting a local grocery
store is a much
cheaper and healthier
option than eating out
for all your meals.
Your shopping list
should include these
healthy suggestions:
 fresh seasonal fruits
and vegetables,
 whole grain breads,
 lean meats, eggs, frozen
and canned vegetables,
 store brand wholegrain cereals
8. Get Creative.
Noodles are a staple among college students,
few suggestions:
-- Drain out some of the liquid portion since it
may have half a day's worth of sodium
-- Add 1-2 cups of frozen vegetables before
heating up the noodles to get extra fiber, vitamins
and minerals
-- Add 2-3 ounces of lean chicken, beans, or tofu
for added protein and fiber
-- Reduce the portion size of the noodles when
adding in other foods to cut down on the
calories, saturated fat, and sodium content
9. Stay Balanced.
Even when you are out with friends at the
mall, you can stay balanced with your choices
at fast food restaurants.
i.e, options include a green salad with grilled
chicken and low-fat dressing or fresh fruit like
sliced applies.
10. When in doubt, ask.
Creating a personalized nutrition and fitness plan
can take time and work,
so if you have questions, your endocrinologist
should be able to recommend a nutritionist you can
speak to.
Your doctor or your university health center
probably has a nutritionist on staff, so make an
appointment if you run into stumbling blocks, or if
you're seeing your blood sugar average or your
weight starting to rise.
 Despite the low prevalence
COLLEGE! It’s all about the
right choices
of overweight and obesity in
the studied university
students' sample,
results indicate that university
students would benefit from a
nutrition and health
promotion program and
suggest the need for
strategies and coordinated
efforts at all levels (family,
university, community and
government) :
- to reduce the tendency of
overweight and obesity
among college students, and
to improve
- and promote students'
healthy eating habits in our
youth.
References

Najat Yahia, Alice Achkar, Abbass Abdallah,
Sandra Rizk. Eating habits and obesity among
Lebanese university students. BioMed Central.
2008. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-32


Sameer Deshpande, Michael D. Basil, Debra
Z. Basil. Factors Influencing Healthy Eating
Habits Among College Students: An Application
of the Health Belief Model. Marketing
Quarterly, 2009. 26:2, 145-164