Abstract

This study focuses on College of Wooster student-athletes and their nutritional beliefs. A few of the questions I have sought to answer include: How have student-athletes learned about nutrition?, What do they eat on a daily basis?, How are their nutritional beliefs shaped by their identity as an athlete?, and How do they feel nutrition affects their athletic performance? To attempt to answer these questions, I consulted scholarly works and research that have been completed on the topic. I was able to build upon research conducted on eating habits of college students; however, the study of the subgroup of college-athletes was lacking. The theoretical framework for this project was based on four main individuals: Claude Fischler, Mary Douglas, Peter Farb, and George Armelagos. These theorists have focused on eating as a way that the individual represents him or herself, the social intercourses developed around food, and the intrinsic value of eating for the individual and the group. The main findings of this study include the argument that college students initially learn about eating and nutrition from their parents; however, they are open to change throughout the course of their individual lifetimes. They receive new information from coaches, teammates, nutritionists, and the media. It should be taken in to account that college student-athletes are different from the broader spectrum of college students. Although both male and female athletes take nutrition into account, the ways in which each gender makes food choices varies.

Advisor

Adams, Abigail

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Disciplines

Sociology

Publication Date

2012

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2012 Emily Johnson