What’s a Parent to Do – Collegiate Edition
TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and yes—even Facebook. There are literally billions of pieces of content published daily on social media.
With this avalanche of content coming at them from all directions, a typical college student may see dozens of posts about food and nutrition news, new miracle diets, fitness supplements, and the latest health food trend—every week, if not every day.
Some of what they see on their feed is credible; unfortunately, much is not.
Friends can also be a source of the latest nutrition fad. And social media influencers with large and expanding audiences introduce students to “problems” they never knew they had, then coincidentally promote the solution—for a price.
Parents of students on their own at college for the first time might wonder where their students are getting their food and nutrition information. What are they reading, watching and listening to, and is what they’re hearing going to help them or hurt them? As a parent, it’s definitely a challenge to figure out how to help your student think critically about what’s coming at them through so many channels, so they can cut through the noise to figure out what’s true and what’s not.
Brandy Stayman, RDN, LDN
“The spread of nutrition information has reached an unprecedented level because of social media,” says dietitian Brandy Stayman, a nutrition expert who works with college students and their parents. “Anyone can create a profile and claim to be a nutrition expert. It’s common for these self-proclaimed experts to share their ‘story of personal transformation’ and then generalize their individual experience for the public—often claiming it will work for almost everyone. The challenge for students is to be very thoughtful about the information they consume, and also to question the background of the person providing the information.”
Many college students arrive on campus already getting their health and wellness information from people they find online, Brandy adds. “A high percentage of students come in following an influencer,” she says. Then, once on campus, friends might expose them to new influencers plus eating habits they’ve tried themselves. Students also encounter food and nutrition information coming from beyond social media and their friend network—it’s coming at them every day from the mainstream media, product marketing, podcast channels, and a variety of other sources.
In this installment of our “What’s a Parent to Do – Collegiate Edition” blog series, Brandy offers insight into where students are getting their nutrition information, the most common food myths they might be tempted to believe, and how to effectively engage and support them in an age of information overload.
Q: What are some current eating fads or nutrition myths today’s college students might be coming across?
There are a bunch, Brandy says. “Seed oils are a really hot topic right now on social media, with people saying they’re not healthy. It’s prevalent and pervasive. Students are coming to me saying, ‘I need dietary accommodations to avoid seed oils,’” says Brandy. “However, if you look at the research, there’s really no strong evidence supporting claims that seed oils like sunflower oil or canola oil are unhealthy for us—actually it’s the opposite.”
Other trends that consistently seem to come at students include going gluten free, the carnivore or keto diet, supplements as cure-alls, and intermittent fasting to name just a few.
Brandy highlights an example to illustrate the type of new diet that seems to crop up almost every day: “There’s a relatively new fad diet called the 75 Hard Challenge–an extreme food and exercise challenge that focuses on short-term discipline but doesn’t promote long-term sustainable habits. Specific diets aside, non-experts online who tout certain ways of eating often don’t have the proper training to know how to read and analyze the relevant research.”
Brandy adds, “The biggest concern is that a specific program may be perfectly fine for your student, or it may not—because social media influencers often do not have the expertise or the access needed to create personalized dietary recommendations that fit individual needs and health challenges.”
Q: What’s the appeal for students of following influencers on social media?
It’s such an easy way to consume information, says Brandy, “It’s instant gratification, requires little effort, it’s free, and you can do it any time of day or night, on your own.”
Influencers are often good at creating a problem that needs solving. They might pop up on a student’s feed as they’re scrolling and say something like, “Are you concerned about gut health, or do you have bloating?” If the student is occasionally bloated, they might buy in to the idea that the diet cleanse the influencer is promoting really works.
“They’re highlighting problems you might or might not have, and they’re usually making dramatic promises,” says Brandy, often with products they’re selling themselves. Influencers are also looking to build their follower base (which they often monetize through social media advertising), so they’re creating catchy content that’s designed to draw people in. Unfortunately, she adds, students aren’t necessarily cross-checking with more trustworthy sources to confirm whether or not what they see and hear online is true.
Q: Another source of (mis)information could be artificial intelligence. What should parents know about how AI might be guiding their students?
A student could very well use an AI like ChatGPT to enter their height and weight and schedule and ask how and what they should eat, or how to lose ten pounds, and AI will tell them what to do (not whether it’s a good idea to do it). Not everything AI tells us is correct.
“AI can have value and be a source of information,” says Brandy, “but only if you know how to vet it and to make sure that everything is correct and accurate. The untrained eye is not going to know that.” That means students (and parents) shouldn’t rely on AI as their only source of information.
“You still want to get the core of your plan from a professional,” she adds. “Excessive use of AI to inform eating, without any vetting, is a red flag parents should look out for.”
Q: How should parents and students think about and approach the issue of “Information and Misinformation?” What are some of the risks?
“Be mindful of the extreme diets hyped on social media that cut out entire food groups or specific nutrients such as carbs,” Brandy says. “Nutritionally, they’re really incomplete. They may lack fiber, or vitamins and minerals. They can also be a gateway to an eating disorder, for a significant number of students.
“Sometimes, and especially in college, which can be a prime time for this kind of issue to develop, some of these more restrictive diets can potentially jumpstart a problem. Parents can help their students by always modeling food neutrality at home,” Brandy emphasizes.
By living healthy behaviors like eating a balanced diet, getting regular moderate exercise, and getting adequate sleep—all of the basic healthy habits—parents can have a quiet influence, even if they don’t feel like their student is watching them when they’re home.
“Seeing and hearing parents consistently demonstrating these healthy habits, and really thriving, can have a positive influence,” Brandy says.
Parents should also be mindful of the nutrition content they’re consuming online and talking about, because their student is probably paying attention to that, too, she adds. (Read more on talking to your student about food and nutrition.)
Q: With so much information out there, how can students (and parents) know who to trust? What are the red flags to watch out for?
“Take note of the person’s education and training,” Brandy says. Do they have formal training and a degree in nutrition or a nutrition-adjacent profession? Registered dietitians, for example, go through standardized training, do specialized clinical hours, and have to pass a national exam. Regardless of the source, it’s important to have multiple ways to evaluate information.
“There are generalized red flags you can look for to help tip you off that an influencer might not be providing good information,” says Brandy. For one, if the person talks in absolutes—”always eat meat” or “never eat carbs”—that’s a red flag.
“There’s really no one-size-fits-all way to eat for everyone,” Brandy adds. “If someone is making generalized claims, they’re not taking into consideration the nuances of each person’s individual nutrition needs,” and they may not be the best source of information.
Also, does the person talk about food in terms of being “good” and “bad?” Are they glorifying or demonizing foods? “That’s a red flag, too,” Brandy says, “because talking about foods in terms of absolutes can create feelings of guilt and shame and create an unhealthy relationship with food.”
Q: Sometimes, though, a student may just need to try a new way of eating to see for themselves. When should parents worry? When is it OK?
“Students often have to experience and learn first-hand whether a certain way of eating is or isn’t going to work for them,” Brandy says. As long as what the student is talking about isn’t extreme or unhealthy—they may really just want to try it for a while for themselves to see.
It’s not a parent’s job to get involved with every food decision or new cuisine choice a student makes when away at school. But being an anchor that’s always there to talk to is a plus. Being there to listen without judgement to your student’s dietary experiments helps to establish an open line of communication. That way if something pops up that isn’t healthy or is more risky, a parent has an open line of discussion with the student to raise a yellow or red flag.
“It’s important to give students somewhere to land when they’re done with the trying,” Brandy says. That’s where consistency in the home environment can really help. Parents should trust that modeling works, let students use their own critical thinking and judgement, and resist any monitoring of the content the student is consuming, she adds.
Brandy reminds parents that the vast majority of students explore a variety of dining styles, food types and flavors while they’re on campus. It’s one of the benefits of being on a meal plan and having access to such a broad selection of foods. In her experience, many go through an exploration process during their time at school.
“Our hope is that they land on a healthy approach that they enjoy and that can fuel their lifestyle in a balanced way,” Brandy says.
Parents, however, can—and should—be on the lookout for any signs that their student’s health could be jeopardized. For example, large amounts of weight loss in a short amount of time or a significant increase in food-related anxiety or mental health struggles might be a sign the student could benefit from seeing their primary care doctor and/or a mental health specialist.
Q: If a student comes to their parent wanting to learn more about healthy eating, what are some trusted expert resources to refer them to?
Dietitians are great resources for students. Many colleges have a campus dietitian who students can meet with one-on-one free of charge. If not, they often have contact information that makes it easy for students to engage with a dietitian not directly affiliated with the school.
“When I meet with a student, I take an assessment or overview of their eating habits, their health history, and then help guide them on healthy goals,” says Brandy.
For students who need more specialized support from a dietitian, it’s worth noting that a lot of insurance companies today are also covering dietitian visits, she adds, and those visits can happen both in person and virtually.
Another great tool in parents’ toolbox is to encourage their student to check in with their primary care doctor for guidance, at least making sure their student is going to their annual wellness exam. Overall, “it’s really just about being a support in whatever way your student might need,” says Brandy, as they become more independent and shape their identity.”
Brandy Stayman, MS, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and part of Aramark’s network of Collegiate Hospitality nutrition leaders. Every day, Brandy and Aramark dietitians across the country utilize their knowledge and experience to help create an environment supportive of health and wellbeing on campus–leading health and wellness programs and engaging with students to help fuel their success and feed their potential.
Note: Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.