Leave the balsamic-glazed salmon and artichoke salad for someone else to enjoy. The college student will take the double cheeseburger, please.
Eugene is home to many healthy, relatively cheap restaurants, including Subway, Café Yumm! and Laughing Planet Café, yet many college students choose to visit Panda Express, McDonald’s or The Dough Company.
With the quick fix, low cost and omnipresent menus, it’s no wonder why fast food restaurants lure students. Many students indulge in fast food eateries because of their proximity to campus, and the $1 menu is an easy way to not break the bank.
“Many fast food places are right on the way home,” said Brittney Griggs, a sophomore majoring in biology, adding that, “McDonald’s is cheaper than healthier places.”
“Money is a huge thing,” agreed freshman Molly Henry, who sometimes dines at Muchas Gracias and Panda Express.
She would be willing to spend $6 at the most for a healthier meal, she said.
But University junior Hillary Stanley believes that people “get false ideas about how different restaurants compare cost-wise,” assuming that fast food is cheaper.
For some students, after nearly a year of living in the residence halls, fast food seems like a fresh option.
University freshman Laura Fogg chooses to eat fast food in part because “there’s not much variety” on campus. “Things just get boring after a while,” said Fogg, who occasionally eats at Panda Express. “But if I was back at home that would be one of the last places I would go.”
Stanley, a human physiology major, believes fast food joints cater to stressed college students’ cravings for greasy, salty and fried comfort foods.
Dr. Bradley J. Cardinal, professor of nutrition and exercise sciences at Oregon State University, said that making healthier choices requires more “conscious thought,” time that most students are often unwilling to devote to their diets.
“Most college students are focused on the ‘here and now,’” he said, “reflecting the mentality of the modern-day lifestyle.”
This plays into the idea of college students’ sense of “invincibility,” he added.
Most students cited their childhood diet as a factor contributing to their current decisions about food. Growing up, they were not allowed to eat much fast food, and even now, a trip to Wendy’s seems like a treat.
“Going to fast food restaurants was always something special that we had to convince Mom and Dad to do,” Griggs said, “and I think that sort of psychology sticks. When you’re able to go buy whatever you want, fast food is still like a reward.”
Dr. Cardinal shares a similar viewpoint.
“Fast food outlets have massive advertising budgets and … are associated with not just food, but also fun,” he said, adding how many American college students grow up in environments where “pervasive” food outlets equal fun with Playlands, Happy Meals and toys.
Because of this, fast food giants become “familiar” and “comfortable” for students.
Fast food restaurants may indeed be inexpensive, consistent and accessible, but the health consequences associated with trans fat, preservatives and fried foods are certainly no secret. The real dilemma for many students perhaps is finding time, in a world of classes, exams, work, extracurricular and social activities, to prioritize their diets.
The University Health Center sponsors the Peer Health Promotion Program, offering cookbooks, workshops on weight management and different diets, nutrition assessments and advising with a certified dietitian. Visit healthed.uoregon.edu/nutrition to check out all that the University Health Center offers.