Date of Award
Spring 4-25-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Health Science
First Advisor
Bob Welch
Second Advisor
Kerri Muehler
Third Advisor
Amy Nelson
Keywords
Eating Habits, Food Insecurity, Obesity, College Students, Free and Reduced Lunch
Subject Categories
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Other Public Health
Abstract
Childhood obesity rates have become an increasing concern in the United States. It has been declared an epidemic due to the increasing number of children who are affected by obesity every year. While many factors can cause obesity, the primary factor is an individual’s dietary choices. This paper presents a literature review on eating habits and the long-term effects of childhood dietary choices on an individual’s body mass index (BMI), specifically among college students. It includes survey results that quantify college students' current eating habits compared to childhood ones. Additional factors influencing eating habits were evaluated, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and socioeconomic status. This thesis aims to uncover further information on NSLP's impact on childhood eating habits and whether it correlates with obesity in college students. This research was conducted via an online survey to examine and quantify the eating habits of college students. It aims to compare their current habits with those they had as children.
Recommended Citation
Schmidt, Morgan A., "Food Insecurity and Childhood Obesity: College Students' Past and Present Eating Habits" (2025). Honors Thesis. 395.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/395