Review Of Related Literature Essay

Excessive intake on the quantity and quality of food could result to an increase in weight and obesity. Individuals are less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and other chronic diseases if they consume foods which are rich in fruits and vegetables (http://www.uwec.edu/Watershed/research/upload/HealthyEatingPoster2012-2.pdf). Research also shows that children in poor diet contributes to overweight by eating on fast food restaurants including fatty snacks which led to an increase in calorie intake (Hofferth & Curtin, 2003). Some studies support the idea that students might not be eating the right kind of foods at school. Students attending fast food restaurants are not going with a healthy in mind even though some offer healthier options. Previous research has shown the most important factors to food choices are: taste, cost, nutrition, convenience, pleasure, and weight control (Glanz, Basil, Maiback, Goldberg, & Snyder, 1198). The 2012 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos have similarly advised the consumption of more fruits and vegetables in the Filipino diet and limit the intake of foods that are high in fats, sugar and salt. Several studies indicate that the majority of college students eat less than the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables needed to obtain the benefit of healthy living (Boyton Health Service, 2010; Deshpande et al., 2009) Many previous studies have shown people often establish taste preferences and eating habits while they are young (Birch, 1999: Drewnowski & Hann, 1999). One leading factor leading to obesity in Philippines is increasing the domestic food prices, forcing restaurants to increase the purchase of unhealthy processed food over healthy foods. Fast food is definitely a problem that concerns us today. Because modern food is composed of artificial ingredient, flavors, preservatives and chemicals that has a long term effect on the health of the students. This explains why diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and other nutritional imbalance sicknesses are afflicting people at even younger ages. Moreover, many  students today spend most of their hours on computer seated instead of engaging in physical activities that could help burn food. The result is fat lazy children that is not familiar with any household chore. As people enters adolescence, more people tend to do eating decisions. The transition to independent living during the university days is an important event (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19408181). College and universities should be encourage to have healthy eating through educational programming because results of a study in the Philippines on childhood obesity, showed that students in private schools are prone to obesity because they are exposed to calorie-rich foods at home and in school (Tanchoco et al., 2006). The media, the government, the school authorities should be involved regarding fast food influences and consequences to their communities (http://fastfoodinfluence.blogspot.com/2011/11/literature-review.html). National Nutrition Survey (NNS) also found that overweight and obesity prevalence among children is 5%, while for Filipino teenagers, it is 8.3%.