Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices (College Students May Need Reminding)

For many college/university students, starting post-secondary education also means that for the first time they’ll be living independently. It’s no wonder the first years of college often represent some of the unhealthiest periods of our life—often characterized by poor eating, lack of exercise, and, not surprisingly, weight gain.

New research from the College of Education in Columbia, Missouri, suggests that interventions, no matter how brief, may be key to getting students in the routine of making healthier lifestyle choices for the long-term.

According to researchers, the length of these interventions may not be as important as the fact that they represent open conversations, and that they aim to identify unhealthy decisions and set goals for the future. The idea is it’s important to receive personalized feedback on health issues.

While this study is geared toward health care practitioners in helping their patients get on track, it may also be helpful for us to consider talking about health decisions with the people we care about.

Need some tips for making better choices?

• “20 Ways to Save on Food: Without compromising health or the environment”
• “Change Your Brain: Take action to form healthy habits”
• “Growing Grey Matter: Our brain is plastic—and adaptable”
• “Nature’s Guide to Holistic Health: The total body approach”
• “Stress-Free Holidays: Exercise your way to holiday bliss”