Results From First-Ever Long-Term Health Study on College Students Indicate Eating Habits May Hasten the Onset of Diseases
BOSTON --(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Jan 7, 2002--Results from a recent groundbreaking study show eating habits established during the college years could accelerate the onset of the “big killer” diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The Tufts Longitudinal Health Study (TLHS) is the world’s first study to follow the behavioral and physiological profiles of college students throughout their four years.
“College kids are in the prime of their life and they aren’t thinking about their long-term health and chronic disease,” says Christina Economos, Ph.D., assistant professor and research scientist at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and lead study researcher. “However, harmful diet and exercise patterns they develop now can lead to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity.”
One of the key findings of the TLHS’s first set of data, which chronicles changes during the participants’ freshman year, is that one-third of those studied eliminate red meat from their diets. However, study findings show that avoiding red meat does not necessarily translate to a better health profile.
Specifically:
* LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels among non-red meat eaters were no lower than red meat eaters. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
* Those who did eat red meat were more likely to meet more of their RDA for protein and vitamin B12.
* One in four students did not meet the RDA for iron and zinc.
“Non-meat eaters may be misleading themselves into thinking that they are on a pathway to better health,” says Economos. “Many people who avoid foods they perceive to be high in fat, such as red meat, end up overloading on carbohydrates, baked goods and high fat dairy products, which may contribute more to weight gain and elevated cholesterol levels - both risks for heart disease.”
“The study implies that there are still a lot of misperceptions about beef’s role in a healthy diet,” says Mary K. Young, M.S., R.D., and executive director of nutrition for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Of the 33 percent of students who indicated in the study that they are vegetarians, a majority eliminate only red meat from their diets. In fact, two thirds of them say they still eat chicken and fish.
“In addition, there are eight cuts of beef which meet the government guidelines for lean and extra lean. What many people don’t realize is that these cuts are just as lean as skinless chicken.”
Beef is also considered a good or excellent source of nine essential nutrients. Just one 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides more than 10 percent of the Daily Value for zinc, iron, protein, selenium, phosphorus and many B-vitamins, yet contributes less than 10 percent of the daily calories to a 2,000 calorie diet.(1)
These nutrients are essential during the “college age years” to maintain energy, protect and maintain the immune system, prevent diseases such as cancer and osteoporosis and protect against impaired growth and learning abilities.
Additional Study Results:
* Nearly 70 percent of freshmen are not meeting the “5-a-day” recommendation for fruits and vegetables.
* Two-thirds of college students gain weight their freshman year.
- Males gain an average of 5 pounds
- Females gain an average of 4.5 pounds
* One-third of freshmen feel less comfortable with their body weight and image than they did before entering college.
“We know that many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, take years to develop, so forming healthy habits early on is critical,” says Jeanne Goldberg, Ph.D., professor of Nutrition and Director of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and member of the Council for Women’s Nutrition Solutions (CWNS). “Teaching this population to establish healthy behaviors between the ages of 18 and 22 will help them to lead long, productive lives down the road.
“Studying this very well defined audience in a focused environment will provide a better understanding of the transition from adolescence to adulthood and help us develop broad-based health initiatives that will benefit a range of young people in this age group, regardless of whether or not they live on a college campus,” says Goldberg.
(1) USDA, ARS. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 14. Nutrient Data Laboratory homepage (www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp), 2000. (Data for beef based on 3-oz. serving, beef composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean only �” trim, all grades, cooked.)
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Beef industry nutrition education programs are funded by beef producers through their $1-per-head checkoff program and are managed for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The national beef checkoff is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. This 110-member board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to oversee the collection of the $1-per-head checkoff, certify state beef councils, implement the provisions of the Federal Order establishing the checkoff and evaluate the effectiveness of checkoff programs.
Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen`s Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.
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