By Gary Kohler
Some college students are blessed with a metabolism that allows them to eat and drink anything they want at any time. Others are able to drink a dozen beers in one night and feel great the next day.
You may be able to partake in these activities but that doesn’t mean they’re healthy and chances are that if kept up, they’ll put you in an early grave.
There are also lots of college students who are not blessed with supercharged metabolisms so avoiding bad habits will keep you from putting on weight and save you money.
Pizza and More Pizza
We’ve all heard stories of college students surviving on macaroni and cheese for months at a time. You can live on just water for weeks or even months but it doesn’t mean that it is good for your body.
Your body needs fresh fruit and vegetables, protein, and water on a daily basis in order to function at its full capacity. If you stop eating those things and only cram your face with pizza and burgers then you’ll be buying bigger pants soon. Not only that but cooking your own meals is far cheaper than eating out.
Late Nights, Early Mornings
Getting enough sleep is important for anyone, not just college students. It can be a contributing factor to increased appetite and weight gain. If you’re awake all night then you start to eat anything you can find at those late hours: vending machine treats, 7-Eleven products, pizza, and other junky delicacies that will leave you fat and broke.
Avoiding those late nights can be hard, but you can minimize the damage by preparing healthy food earlier in the day or by skipping the odd party. These steps can go a long way to keeping you healthy.
Alcohol & Other “Extracurricular Activities”
College students aren’t really known for their ability to enjoy alcohol and other extracurricular activities in moderation. Most cases of teenage alcohol abuse take place in college, where freshmen can easily get access to alcohol and other stuff.
Binge drinking is a growing problem on many campuses across the country and it can cause memory loss, brain damage, and even death in some cases. Avoiding the endless parties, and the peer pressure of drinking to excess can be difficult.
Combine all that alcohol with late night junk food and you’ve got a recipe for weight gain, liver and heart issues, and other long term health problems.
College students will drink but being responsible about it is the key. Did I mention that alcohol and drugs can be extremely expensive and addicting too?
Lack of Physical Activity
College gives many young people their first taste of the busy world of an adult. Finding time for physical activity can be hard but it’s also a crucial way to avoid those extra pounds.
Joining an intramural sports team can be a great way to keep fit and make new friends. Even friends of the opposite sex! It will also allow you to avoid some of those late night drinking fests that would otherwise hurt your waist and your wallet.
*Side note: Beer racing doesn’t count as physical activity!
Living in Moderation
These are just a few bad habits that will leave many college students fat and broke this school year. You don’t need to live like a monk to get through the school year, but some level of moderation is important.
Spending time thinking about your health can go a long way to getting you through school without gaining that freshman 15 (lbs) or losing that freshman $15,000.
Author Information
Gary Kohler is with Lifecover.ca, a website that provides life insurance quotes for Canadians.
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