Food Insecurities Plague Most College Students
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CandyBoxImages/Thinkstock(CORVALLIS, Ore.) — College students have a lot on their plate without having to worry about something termed “food insecurities.”
Researchers from Oregon State University and Oregon’s Benton County Health Department say nearly six of ten students have some form of this condition, which means they have limited or uncertain access to healthy food because of high costs.
The researchers, who based their findings on more than 350 college students, say young people put themselves at higher risk of malnutrition when they mostly eat unhealthy foods.
There are a number of reasons why students can’t afford healthier choices with the first and foremost being the high tuition they’re already paying to attend school, which doesn’t leave much cash left over for meals.
The 59 percent of college students with food insecurities compares to those with the same problem in 14.9 percent of all U.S. households.
Meanwhile, low-income students may already have food insecurities before even beginning college, meaning it’s a continuation of a troubling trend.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio