College Students Say Poor Nutrition is More of a Problem Than Alcohol or Drug Abuse, Survey Finds

Most students view diet as central to mental health, energy, and academic performance — yet three-in-four report their campuses lack healthy options

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey reveals that college students say poor nutrition is more of a problem than drug or alcohol abuse, and overwhelmingly believe their universities fail to provide adequate healthy food options. The poll, conducted by Echelon Insights on behalf of the student-driven cultural health organization Touch Grass Together, found that 82 percent of students identify less-than-healthy diets as a problem on campus, compared to 71 percent who cited alcohol or drug abuse.

At the same time, nearly three in four students (72%) say their campuses lack healthy food options, even as 71 percent admit their own diets are less healthy than they would like. This is a generation eager to be healthy: 89 percent say they're actively prioritizing their mental and physical wellbeing. But students say campus environments haven't caught up.

"This poll makes one thing unmistakably clear: our most basic human need, food, has been undermined in ways we can no longer ignore," said Adnan Alkhalili (20), Founder and CEO of Touch Grass Together. "Young people are tired of being flooded with junk food. For college students, it's even worse: we're not choosing this. We want to eat in ways that support our bodies, but the campus environment makes that almost impossible."

Diet Directly Impacts Mood and Productivity
Students clearly recognize a strong connection between diet and productivity. Most say what they eat directly influences how they feel and function, with 84 percent citing an effect on energy, 80 percent on mood, and three in four on focus and productivity.

Despite this awareness, students feel their campus environment works against them:

• About half say dining halls serve too many ultra-processed choices.
• Fewer than half believe campus cafeterias offer foods they consider healthy.
• Nearly eight in ten report that eating highly processed foods leaves them feeling sluggish or down.

Dr. Ryan S Patel, a psychiatrist who treats students with mental health concerns at The Ohio State University office of student life, counseling and consultation service, explained, "Students are telling us they want to prioritize their mental and physical wellbeing. To help them do that, the campus environment has to meet their needs by providing appropriate food choices at a reasonable price, from dining halls to vending machines to cafés. Research shows that proper nutrition can help improve energy levels, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Expanding knowledge and access to nutritious but appetizing food is one of the most impactful steps universities can take to support student wellbeing."

Low-Carb Diet Adopters Report Significantly Better Mental Health
The survey demonstrates a powerful link between nutritional choices and mental well-being. While fewer than half of students overall currently rate their mental health as excellent or very good, those who have adopted a low-carb or ketogenic diet this school year report significantly better mental health outcomes. Fifty-seven percent of these students rate their mental health as excellent or very good, compared with only 38 percent of their peers who have not adopted this diet. This success is achieved despite obstacles: 35 percent of students report their campus dining does not offer enough low-carb or ketogenic options.

A Wider Imbalance in Student Life
Students' diets reflect a deeper pattern of strain across campus life, where sleep, time outdoors, and rest are all in short supply.

• Disconnected from Nature: More than one-third of students spend less than 45 minutes outdoors each day, and four in five go at least a day each week without physical contact with nature.
• Poor Sleep: About 80 percent of students report sleeping fewer than eight hours per night.
• Constant Screen Time: More than half of students spend five or more hours daily on screens outside of classwork.

Touch Grass Together commissioned the survey to better understand how young people experience and prioritize health on campus, and to continue the national conversation about food, wellness, and culture in college life.

Alkhalili continued, "The lack of access to healthy eating and other human fundamentals on college campuses is why thousands have joined our movement to 'touch grass together.' Young people know exactly where society is failing them, and we're making the noise required to change it."

Kristen Soltis Anderson, Founding Partner, Echelon Insights, added, "Students today are trying to live healthier lives, but worry that time, cost, and lack of access to healthy food make that goal harder to achieve. They're eager to take their wellbeing into their own hands and see healthy eating as a key component of that."

N=1,003 undergraduate students aged 18-28, enrolled full time at a 4-year college or university
Field Dates: October 27 - November 5, 2025 
Margin of error: ± 3.3 percentage points
Toplines

ABOUT TOUCH GRASS TOGETHER 
Touch Grass Together is a student-driven cultural health movement restoring the metabolic coherence of a generation, reconnecting how we eat, move, live, and relate to one another. Founded by students and young leaders, the movement mobilizes campuses, creators, and communities across the United States and abroad to restore human rhythm through light, movement, nourishment, and connection. By reimagining the very systems of modern life that disconnected us, Touch Grass Together turns science into culture, using the digital age to bring people back to reality. Its mission is simple: make health social, simple, and human again.

SOURCE Touch Grass Together