Author- Abhijeet Shewale, Sahil Mehta, Vishwesh Chouksey, Nancy
Introduction- Maintaining a balanced diet has become increasingly challenging in today’s fast-paced world. With busy schedules and the widespread availability of fast food, many individuals find it difficult to prioritize nutritious meals. Convenience often takes precedence over health, leading to poor dietary choices. This growing reliance on processed and fast food is a major obstacle to sustaining a balanced and healthy diet.
Objective- To identify and address the barriers to maintaining a balanced diet caused by busy lifestyles and the easy access to fast food, and to explore practical strategies for healthier eating habits amidst these challenges.
Literature Review-
- Overweight adolescents struggle to offset excess calories from fast food, and public health measures like nutrition education and marketing regulations could help reduce obesity risks in all children. ( (CB Ebbeling, 2004)- 2004)
- Fast food growth has stalled, with demand shifting toward full-service dining, requiring further research on its market and health impacts. (H Stewart, N Blisard, S Bhuyan, RM Nayga Jr – 2004)
Data collection- To understand the above problem, 5 questions were framed on Likert scale, Using these 5 questions a google form was used and students of ITM college were surveyed, and then for each question (Mean, SD, SE, Z- value) were calculated.
Data analysis:
|
Statement |
Mean |
S.D. |
S.E. |
Z-value |
Results |
|
1) I struggle to make time for healthy meals. |
2.47 |
1.21 |
0.12 |
-4.38 |
Disagree |
|
2) I am tempted by fast food. |
2.32 |
1.21 |
0.12 |
-5.60 |
Disagree |
|
3) I crave unhealthy snacks. |
2.53 |
1.26 |
0.13 |
-3.78 |
Disagree |
|
4) I prioritize work over health. |
3.02 |
1.15 |
0.11 |
0.17 |
Neutral |
|
5) I find healthy eating too difficult. |
3.09 |
1.27 |
0.13 |
0.72 |
Neutral |
Conclusion:
1) Students did not struggle to make time for healthy meals.
2) Students were not tempted by fast food.
3) Students didn’t crave for unhealthy snacks.
4) Students may or may not be prioritize work over health.
5) Students find healthy eating too difficult sometimes.
Reference-
(CB Ebbeling, 2004) – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/198947
(H Stewart, 2004) – https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/33953/?v=pdf
