Presenter(s): Alvaro Macias-Gonzalez
Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Elliot Berkman
Poster 87
Session: Social Sciences & Humanities
From the moment we are born, we have little input on what foods we eat. From breast milk (or formula) to cereal, individuals are given limited choices when it comes to what foods they consume. Fast forward to adolescent years, we are still at the mercy of a parent or guardians decision of what to feed us but have a bit more freedom for food selection. Then what happens when individuals move away from a primary caregiver and choose to live on their own and have to find various forms of nutrition? The purpose of this study is to understand how college-bound freshman diet influences their narrative identities versus college Juniors, who have greater amounts of freedom in regards to foods consumed. Does an individual who consumes food prepared by someone else believe that this food can help explain their narrative identity? Or can an individuals diet help dictate if they believe themselves to be what we would call “winner”? My research looks at the differences between College freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors dietary intake. Research has shown the dreaded “freshman fifteen” is a phenomenon across college campuses but what effects does this additional weight have on the students’ psyche?