August/September 2022 - 28
Nutrition
Food Insecurity
in Collegiate
Student-Athletes
By Toni Tillett Langhans, MBA, RD, CSS*D
W
ith the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
policy being passed by the NCAA last year,
most of the conversation has been going
toward athletes receiving fancy cars or new shoes.
While this may be true for some that are raking in
the big bucks, comments like these show that the
general population, and maybe even some coaches
and administrators, do not fully understand where most
collegiate student-athletes sit financially. While it may
seem like athletes being paid to play is just icing on the
cake, for many this may be an opportunity to simply
afford enough food to support their health and
training load.
What people often fail to realize, is that most college
student-athletes are not on full scholarships. Full
scholarship means room, board, and tuition are paid for
in full by their institution. Many student-athletes are on
partial scholarships or no scholarships at all. When this
occurs, the students are still expected to go to classes,
study, practice, travel to competitions, attend team
meetings, be present at study tables, tally community
service hours, grocery shop, cook at least 3 balanced
meals a day, sleep 8 hours a night, and maybe even
clock some extra training. So, when in that schedule
would those individuals be able to even think about
having a part-time job? If the athlete does not have
financial support from family, paired with extreme time
commitments, this can lead to food insecurity.
What is Food Security? Food security measures
individuals' availability and access to food. According to
the United Nations' Committee on World Food Security,
" food security means that all people, at all times, have
physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe,
and nutritious food that meets their food preferences
and dietary needs for an active and healthy life " (Food
Security, 2022). There are many levels of food security
according to other expert resources, such as the USDA
Economic Research Service and Feeding America,
(Definitions of Food Security, 2022):
* High Food Security - Households did not have
problems or concerns about consistently accessing
adequate food.
* Marginal Food Security - Households did have
issues or concerns about accessing adequate food,
but the impact on the quality, variety, and quantity of
their food was not significant.
* Low Food Security - Households were able to
maintain the quantity of food purchased but did have
to reduce the quality, diversity, and appeal of the
food.
* Very Low Food Security - At times, one or more of
the members in the household had eating patterns
that were upset and/or lowered food consumption
due to a lack of resources for food.
One of the common misconceptions about food
insecurity is that the individual has nothing to eat
whatsoever, and their pantry is barren. When you think
of it in those terms, it narrows down the perceived
prevalence. An athletic department providing one
meal a day to the student might eliminate the idea
that they have any students in this category. Viewing
food insecurity through that lens can result in not
recognizing the signs or believing there cannot be
an issue. However, the level of low food security can
include reduced diet quality, variety, and desirability.
28 | Training & Conditioning August/September 2022
August/September 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August/September 2022
August/September 2022 - 1
August/September 2022 - 2
August/September 2022 - 3
August/September 2022 - 4
August/September 2022 - 5
August/September 2022 - 6
August/September 2022 - 7
August/September 2022 - 8
August/September 2022 - 9
August/September 2022 - 10
August/September 2022 - 11
August/September 2022 - 12
August/September 2022 - 13
August/September 2022 - 14
August/September 2022 - 15
August/September 2022 - 16
August/September 2022 - 17
August/September 2022 - 18
August/September 2022 - 19
August/September 2022 - 20
August/September 2022 - 21
August/September 2022 - 22
August/September 2022 - 23
August/September 2022 - 24
August/September 2022 - 25
August/September 2022 - 26
August/September 2022 - 27
August/September 2022 - 28
August/September 2022 - 29
August/September 2022 - 30
August/September 2022 - 31
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August/September 2022 - 33
August/September 2022 - 34
August/September 2022 - 35
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