Wellness wave among millennials

By: Kayla Hunt, Columnist

An increase in health consciousness among American consumers has been reported in recent years.

According to Nielsen, millennials are more willing to take initiative on behalf of their wellbeing and are more likely to pay premium to achieve their goals. Their study shows that across generational groups, millennials are leading when it comes to prioritizing lifestyle choices.

It comes as no surprise that millennials are becoming more aware of their wellness given the concurrent links between college students and weight fluctuation, obesity, as well as mental stability.

When attending college, many students are advised to be conscious of their weight and food consumption during their first year.

The popular phrase “freshman 15” has been used to express the weight gain that many college students experience during their first year. Whereas 15 pounds sounds like an overstatement, many studies show that students typically gain between two to five pounds during their freshman year. Researchers want people to keep in mind that weight gain goes beyond freshman year and follows students throughout the course of their college experience.

There are a multitude of factors that impact students’ wellbeing, including irregular eating and sleeping habits as well as stress. Recently, there has been more emphasis placed on students’ mental and physical wellness.

Dr. Julie Janeway provides tips on how students can avoid experiencing weight fluctuation during their studies and how to increase their overall wellbeing.

  1. Make it about your health rather than putting emphasis on looks/image.
  2. Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals deprives your body of fuel and makes it harder to concentrate due to the headaches and lightheadedness that can develop as a result.
  3. Avoid eating food late at night. The more tired your body gets and the less you respond with sleep, the more your body will convince you that you are hungry.
  4. Get lots of sleep. This goes in hand with the previous tip, sleep deprivation can play a huge factor in weight gain.
  5. Take advantage of exercise facilities.
  6. Try not to give into cheap food offers. Many college students are frugal and universities are aware of that, which is why there are generally deals offered. However, the cheapest option does not usually equate with the healthiest one.

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