On the list of situations which induce significant weight gain, somewhere between pregnancy and marriage to a gourmet chef lies student life. As suggested by the phrase 'the fresher’s fourteen' - the stone in weight which the average student can expect to gain during their time at university - it is a long-recognised fact that while study broadens the mind, it may have a similar effect on the waistline.

The reasons why a student may resort to a less than balanced diet are clear. Adapting to a more self-reliant lifestyle than the previous eighteen years of mollycoddling, while trying to complete a good degree, is a stressful task. However, the real task is to analyse which particular hotbeds of sinful sugary goodness lure students away from their five-a-day, and to suggest reasonable solutions to the inevitabilities of student life.

Alcohol

The phrase 'beer belly' suggests that students’ aqua vitae has waist-expanding properties, but to the average sprightly nineteen-year-old, this reality is a hazy and distant image. However, the sugar in alcohol is particularly bad for health because where it is stored as fat - namely around the abdomen - is the area most likely to contribute to heart disease and type-two diabetes.

One solution is abstinence, but for most young adults this is about as popular as pulling teeth. The key is to think sensibly about which alcohol to choose. Even slight changes can be very effective. For example, a vodka tonic is similar in price and alcohol content to a Southern Comfort and lemonade, but a lot less sugary. The same principle can be applied to the less Epicurean student pastime of drinking to get drunk. A standard 175ml glass of wine contains 2 units, whereas the average alcopop contains 1.7 units and a great deal more sugar. The choice seems obvious.

All-night working sessions

“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. Unfortunately, when said medicine is an essay being written at 3am with a 9am deadline, this axiom is all too true. Not only is late-night snacking bad for the figure, but erratic blood sugar levels caused by lack of sleep and the caffeine pills taken for energy will also increase your appetite the following day. Late night working is best avoided for a number of reasons, but sadly it is an inevitability of student life. If you must snack late at night, eat some fruit – it’s tasty, cheap, filling without being heavy on the digestion, and it provides energy in the healthier form of fruit sugars or slow-release carbohydrates.

Money

For the majority of students, money is a problem. Whether your problem is that there is not enough money, or that money intended for basic survival is being saved to finance your social life, it is all too easy to buy cheap food.

However, cheap food is usually crammed with fat and sugar to disguise its negligible nutritional value. However, wholesale shops can solve this problem. A bag of porridge oats will last weeks, cost very little, and be substantially better for breakfast than a greasy cheeseburger.

Socialising

Nights in front of a DVD with pizza are a great relief from the pressures of academia, but the calories consumed during these gatherings eventually adds up.

Fortunately there is no need to become a social recluse if you enjoy social eating in moderation. If you are going to be feasting with friends one evening, make an effort to eat more healthily during the day. Similarly, stop after a few slices rather than eating the whole pizza.

Twenty-four hour food

While a foray into a late-night kebab shop or an all-night supermarket may seem like a good idea on a drunken walk home, food eaten in the early hours is terrible for the metabolism. Ask yourself whether you are really hungry, as in, would you chew on cardboard if nothing else were available. If the answer is yes, eat a banana; the minerals in it will also double as a hangover cure for the next morning. To save money and reduce temptation, make sure there is always a healthy snack back in your accommodation.

Eating on the move

The path to any lecture hall is inevitably paved with corner shops, and vendors of fast and tasty, usually cheese-laden, meals - temptation is all around.

However, tasty food can also come in the form of interesting salads and sandwiches, which are all round a healthier option, and just as quick with supermarkets’ “Food To Go” sections.

The takeaway

Otherwise known as 'can’t be bothered cooking'. Despite this, takeaways are not always a sign of laziness, but often the only possible source of nutrition during very busy periods. However, some takeaways are healthier than others, and simply choosing the healthier options can help significantly in managing your waistline.

For example, Chinese meals are in general less calorific than Indian meals, but if Indian is your favourite, choose lower-fat options such as tikka over the less healthy korma. As a rule of thumb for any takeaway, avoid anything fried or anything creamy.

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