How Does Eating/Diet Change during the School Year?

Summer is great, but it comes with a lot of boredom. To avoid our summer work and other outstanding obligations, we eat. It does not matter what time, we just do. Food is a distraction and one of the most popular ways to pass the time. However, school hours are shocking to this eating pattern. Gone are the days of waking up at noon and snacking until dinner time. Now, there is a set lunch time in which everyone is hungry, due to early rising.

I spoke with a couple Madison High School juniors to hear their thoughts on how eating changes from summer to September. Over the summer, Katerina Rettino said she would generally eat a late breakfast and have a combination of lunch and dinner, as a result of daily snacking. Sara Taddeo explained that over the summer, there is nothing to do with the absurd amount of extra time, but eat. However, once school starts, these eating habits take a drastic turn. Personally, I find my body feeling tired and hungry at the most random times. I start craving lunch at around 9:30 AM, during school! In the summer, I would be asleep for at least two more hours. My friend and fellow senior at MHS, Clara Smith also shared insight on this topic. “I eat way too much over the summer,” said Smith, “there’s just nothing else to do besides sleep and eat.” Eating is a constant battle of hunger, time and boredom.

Other than eating to please boredom, stress eating becomes relevant during the school year. Many people are prone to this glutinous, unhealthy habit, myself included. When studying for a big test, all I want to do is shove fistfuls of cake in my mouth until I am unconscious on the floor, unable to take the exam. In all, the majority of teenagers struggle with eating. School makes balanced, healthy meals inaccessible and the tempation of snacking at home is too much to handle.