One of the most substantial challenges facing colleges and universities today remains the creation of a healthy campus environment. With more than one-third of college students classified as overweight or obese by body-mass index (BMI) and the known negative health consequences associated with obesity, campuses have a deliberate responsibility to…

The goals of Healthy Campus 2020 are to improve health across college campuses for students. One of the focuses is to increase physical exercise and avoid weight gain and risks for obesity. During this time of transition, many college students do not partake in regular exercise and females are at lower levels of exercise participation compared to…

BACKGROUND: Approximately 37% of college students are overweight or obese and the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated weight management in college students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a motivational interviewing intervention compared to electronic education (control) on body composition and self-determination…

Objective: We examined differences and associations between physical fitness and behavioral factors with obesity in a multi-ethnic student population. Participants: Study population included non-Hispanic whites (NHW, n = 1,454); Hispanics (n = 1,436) and Asians (n = 1,016) at a metropolitan university from Fall 2006 to Fall 2013. Methods: Analyses…

Objective: Approximately one-third of college students are categorized as overweight/obese and elevated weight has been associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. Less is known about protective factors in this context. This study examined associations between depressive symptoms and health behaviors, as well as body image variables…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an online "teachable moment" intervention to promote healthy eating for overweight and food intolerance symptoms. Design/methodology/approach: The study involves a 2×2 factorial design with two conditions: group (weight loss vs food intolerance) and condition (intervention vs control).…

The purpose of this work was to explore the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at reducing weight bias. Senior fashion students (n = 11) enrolled in a 16 week special topics course, "plus-size swimwear design," completed assignments of selected obesity related educational readings and guided critical reflection. Student…

Objective: High levels of obesity-related health disparities are common among US American Indian (AI) populations. AI public university students often face unique challenges that may contribute to weight gain and related consequences. Few weight maintenance interventions have been developed that meet the needs of AI public university students. The…

Background: Consumption of social media has quickly evolved into a primary source of health information for many consumers. This seems to be particularly true for individuals seeking to modify chronic health conditions like weight loss, obesity, and obesity-related diseases. Purpose: This study explores whether watching Dr. Oz weight loss episodes…

Objective: This study investigated associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) prior to age 18 years and multiple health behaviors (eg, cigarette and other substance use) and outcomes (eg, obesity, depression) for a large college sample. Participants: 2,969 college students from seven universities in the state of Georgia were included…

Purpose: Recruiting college students for research studies can be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned in the various recruitment strategies used for enrolling college students in a theory-based, tailored, and web-delivered health intervention at 13 US universities. Design/methodology/approach: The…

This study examined within-group differences in obesity-related dietary behaviors and the health status of 156 Latino students at risk for diabetes due to family history. Approximately 58% of students were overweight and/or obese, with female students reporting a greater risk for diabetes. Consumption of meats, fried potatoes, breads, and…

The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between stress, weight-related health risk behaviors (e.g., eating behaviors, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, cigarette smoking, and binge drinking), and weight status using cross-sectional data on 2-year community college students enrolled in a randomized controlled weight…

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an e-mail-delivered program to promote nutrition and physical activity in African American college students. Participants: Forty-seven students (76% female, aged 18-20 years). Methods: Students participated in a 24-week randomized controlled trial, receiving either general health…

Problem: Almost 60% of college students consume less than two servings of fruits and vegetables a day while 40-50% either exercise irregularly or do not exercise. When surveyed in another study, half of the students responded that they had not received any information about healthy eating and behaviors from their colleges while nearly 60% said…