Eating disordered
Oxford students are maintaining diets and lifestyles that promote depression, stress, anxiety and fatigue, an Oxford Student investigation has revealed. Nearly half of the student body feel the university environment means they have neither the time nor money to remedy this, but experts say if students do not act soon to counter their unhealthy habits, the long-term effects could be irreversible.
The Oxford Student surveyed over 100 students on their eating and exercising habits, and asked them to comment on their overall health and wellbeing. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they felt generally less healthy during term time than in the vacation, with 48% of those surveyed saying healthy eating and regular exercise was something the student lifestyle did not allow for. However, this attitude could be affecting students’ mental welfare and ability to work effectively.
83% of those surveyed said they found it difficult to keep focused and maintain concentration for long periods of time, whilst 79% complained of regularly feeling tired during the day. Nutritionist Sarah Craig of The Summertown Clinic in Oxford analysed the results of the Oxford Student survey. “The typical diet that the average Oxford student maintains will certainly contribute to tiredness and poor concentration,” she said.
More than half the students admitted to regularly consuming meals consisting of foods that are high in simple carbohydrates, salt and fat, with pizzas, white pasta, paninis and fried food being cited as typical. 60% of the examples given were deemed by experts to be unhealthy.
Craig said simple carbohydrates like white pasta and bread promote a sluggish feeling, and suggested that students should eat brown rice and bread, as well as food conaining Omega 3 like oily fish, to boost concentration and healthy living; “The first step in boosting concentration is to drink plenty of water. Lots of things that students will do, like staying up late, smoking and drinking all dehydrate you. This isn’t expensive or time consuming measure but it is essential,” she said.
45% of female students polled admitted to drinking in excess of 14 units, 14 unit weekly alchohol of “It is also important to move away from tinned and packet foods. Not only are these expensive but they are high in sugar and salt which cannot sustain energy levels and will encourage ‘slumps’ and tiredness.
Craig said the snacking habits revealed by the survey were also likely to have a damaging effect on energy levels, with 56% of snacks consumed having a high sugar content, and the late-night kebab or chips being a regular feature. “I could recommend taking some dried fruit or nuts to a club, for the journey home, but I somehow, can’t see students doing that. My advice is not to worry about the odd late night kebab, as long as the diet is healthy for the rest of the day.
Although half of those surveyed said they did less exercise during term time than during the vacation, several commented that leading a healthy lifestyle was not impossible. “It is harder but that is just an excuse,” said one student. “Ultimately it’s up to the individual.” The Oxford Student survey revealed that several students felt the stress of academic life also had a serious impact on their health.
Half said work-related stress affects their appetite and 60% said they had noticed a change in their weight since arriving in Oxford. Nearly 80% have motivational problems when it comes to their work and two-thirds admitted to occasionally finding it difficult to cope with their workload. A significant proportion of students also admitted to feeling down, unhappy or isolated during term time.
A spokesperson for MIND, Rebecca Goldsmith, told The Oxford Student, “Poor concentration, lack of interest and motivation and tiredness are all symptoms of depression. “The high incidence of stress, anxiety and depression among students is certainly a worrying problem, especially as we come up to exam time. There is evidence to suggest that stress can lead to other mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, if it’s not managed well.
“It’s vital that students know that there is help out there, that there are people to talk to, and that taking a break to relax away from studying is likely to boost their chances of success as well as reduce their stress levels.” Whilst the stress patterns revealed by the survey could be applied to students’ country-wide, Goldsmith suggested the typical Oxford student could be more susceptible than most to extreme manifestations of stress-related health problems.
“It’s believed that people who are perfectionists are more at risk of developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder than others, and there are some links between feeling stressed, anxious and out of control and issues around self-harm and eating disorders.” A spokesperson from the Eating Disorders Association (EDA), Steve Bloomfield, agreed. “A typical characteristic of a person with an eating disorder is a person with high levels of perfectionism.
People who do very well in exams, who are perfectionists and driven, ambitious people are at a higher risk from suffering with eating disorders than the population at large.” Bloomfield said moving away from home for the first time and losing the support of family and friends was a typical trigger for eating disorders. “It is very easy to binge and purge in the isolation of one’s room without anyone even noticing.
This only needs to happen a few times, before it becomes a compulsive process.” “People who develop eating disorders become reliant on the control of food and eating as a way of coping with emotional difficulties in their life. It is also often associated with low self-esteem or a general lack of self-confidence.” First-year LMH student Rebecca Shinner said, “Being healthy at Oxford is all about taking the decision to make time to look after yourself.
I am healthier now than I was, because I choose to eat healthily by not buying junk food in the shops, and pick out the reasonably healthy options in Hall. “ “I think Hall food could be improved, but generally is good, and the college system provides the perfect environment for people who aren’t good at sport (like me), to stay active and keep fit. Oxford terms are busy, but I think health is important and something that should be made time for.
OUSU Welfare representative Aidan Randle-Conde said the impact of stress of students was a recognised problem at Oxford. “There is so much stress put upon students, and in the eight week terms many feel there is not enough time to get everything done. For finalists, their entire career will be shaped in just a matter of weeks. The pressure Oxford student are under is phenomenal and it can sometimes push people too far. “A lot of people find it difficult to talk about their problems.
There is an inherent fear that confiding in someone about taboo mental health issues could be perceived as a sign of weakness and not coping, while in reality, talking about your problems is actually a sign of coping.” However Randle-Conde said the support provided by the University for students suffering from stressand health-related problems was far-reaching.
According to a recently published review by the University Counseling service approximately 800 students are using the service, which represents 1 in 20 Oxford University students. Head of University Counseling Elsa Bell said, “Depression and anxiety are certainly a problem for some students who feel isolated and alone.” “The service has worked hard to get waiting times down to 2 weeks.
An extra grant from the University and colleges this year meant we could bring in more staff, and there are plans to increase the budget for next year.” “Our target is to see people within 5 working days. This is a difficult thing to do due to the number of students coming to see us.” Bell urged students and staff to become more aware of welfare issues facing students.
She said, “The University provides facilities to help students with such problems so that they can make the most of the their time at Oxford.” Last year, The Oxford Student reported that students faced waiting times of 9.7 days after applying for counseling sessions. A spokeswoman for the service blamed the problems on the ‘lean budget’, which has largely remained static at around £350,000 per annum, despite a rise in applications for help of 17% over the last five years.
“Being under extreme pressure to perform academically and socially will take its toll on anyone,” said Ruth Goldsmith from Mind. “The important thing is to keep your perspective, allow yourself to relax at least once every day, and seek help if things feel as though they’re getting out of control.”
25th May 2006