Chances are, your collegiate years weren’t as healthy as you remember them. Nearly 66% of students don’t get the recommended amounts of nutrients, because—let’s face it—beer pong and vegetables don’t mix. But researchers found that with some simple communication, you can vastly improve the habits of your college kid, according to their new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The researchers analyzed data from 746 first-year college students for two weeks straight and measured how often they talked with their parents via text, phone, or e-mail. (The average student spoke with their parents frequently, about 8 of the 14 days.) On days where students and their parents talked for 30 minutes or more, the students ate 14% more fruits and vegetables and were 50% more likely to get at least half an hour of physical activity. “Parents are helping their students problem-solve,” explained Meg Small, PhD, the principal investigator and a research associate at the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development at Penn State University. Parents can make a big difference by suggesting solutions to barriers of student health (sitting in class all day, eschewing gross dining hall food for fast food.) “Plus, students are just reminded that somebody cares about them and that they should pay attention to their health,” Dr. Small added. Don’t tell your college kid, but the challenges of sitting all day and not having time to cook never go away. Luckily, social support is crucial way beyond the college years, and networks of friends, family, or groups can give you similar results, Dr. Small said. Wondering where to start? Check out our 28-Day Challenge to transform your body with mega support of an entire fitness community.
