newenglander:
After giving this topic some thought, yes college attendees today are indeed heavier than their counterparts from prior generations. But has anyone noticed those in their early-20s becoming fatter in general?
Many cashiers and other workers in my local Dollar Tree, Stop&Shop, and Walmart for example are young but not likely to be college students. This much I deduced from seeing them at work when class would be in session. They seem much heavier than their predecessors from about 20 years ago.
This makes me wonder if college attendance is simply coincidental to weight gain. Could the real culprits be a combination of factors such as poor diet, antidepressant use, video games, and social media?
Also cigarette use is down significantly among this demographic. Nicotine being a stimulant often helped keep the weight off.
Munchies:
I mean, they may be in class. Online, weekend, and night classes are also options. There's also Summer classes, accelerated classes, ect. So, that alone isn't the best way to judge if they are students or not.
That being said, you are probably right about the reasons. But also high levels of stress, the inability to buy quality food, not having the time or the energy to exercise, etc.
The reasons are about as long as my arm.
BradyG:
Not having the time or the energy to exercise is one of the biggest myths that people actually believe…. For one it’s a choice if exercises important to you you make time for it and two while initially it is tiring to exercise exercise gives you energy. But I agree with you about the inability to buy quality food and probably being raised on processed food like so many people these days and then get addicted to the sugar etc. but I think when you have the college experience of being away from home for the first time away from your parents telling you what to do and making your meals and then you have usually the dining hall especially your freshman year when you live on campus and the dining hall is right there and you can eat anything and everything you want I think that Contributes immensely to college weight gain Plus we cannot count out the large amount of drinking that goes on in college. That in itself is responsible for a shit load of calories
As a fit person, I agree with you to an extent about not having the time or the energy to exercise. In most circumstances, if you make the time for it, you're body will thank you for it.
The people I'm referring to simply do not have the time or the energy. I know a lot of single parents in that college age range who have kids, work multiple jobs and squeeze in college classes where they can. Not all of them are fat per se, but watching them scramble around is like a heart attack waiting to happen. They barely have time to sleep properly, let alone exercise.
Thankfully, this isn't a long term situation. Once they get additional support (usually reliable child care) they have time for other things like sleep and exercise.
