2009 - 2010 Undergraduate Research in Nutrition and Food Science
Introduction: While weight gain during college is a well-established phenomenon of young adulthood, the reason(s) behind the weight gain remain unclear. A decrease in physical activity along with increased consumption of alcohol has become an accepted culprit.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption to the frequency of late night meals and subsequent weight gain in University of Kentucky students.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty surveys were distributed to undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky. Surveys inquired about student's general information, high school weight, alcohol drinking habits, and subsequent eating habits.
Results: Two hundred and thirty six surveys were complete and utilized for data evaluation. It was found 55% of participants drank alcohol between every and most weekends. Males and females who reported drinking the most frequently had the lowest body mass index (BMI) (most frequent drinkers 23.18 ± 3.54 kg/m2, non drinkers 25.45 ± 5.93 kg/m2) (p-value = 0.9). The average student reported eating sometimes after alcohol consumption; with average males and females eating at about the same frequency. Those reporting eating every time after consuming alcohol had an average BMI of 24.61 ± 6.77 kg/m2; while those reporting never eating averaged 23.84 ± 3.84 kg/m2. Participants who averaged the most drinks in one night (12+) reported eating most times following drinking. In comparison, those who reported averaging just one or two drinks in a night reported rarely to sometimes eating after drinking.
Conclusion: The students who averaged the most frequent food consumption following drinking did have larger BMIs, yet not significantly. Those who consumed alcohol the most frequently did not necessarily have the larger BMIs. Those students who consumed the most drinks in a single night significantly ate more frequently than those students who drank less.