The freshman 15. A lot of college students cringe at the sound of that phrase.
Freshmen who enter college are often worried about gaining weight because so many others have told them horror stories.
A student, who asked to be referred to only as Kim, believed that it is “the types of food that is offered and the fact that your parents aren’t there to tell you what to eat. You tend to eat what you want and you gain fifteen pounds.”
“You are drastically changing your lifestyle,” said Jeanne DiMuzio, director of wellness and prevention. “You’re going from being a high school athlete to not being an athlete, from eating certain foods to eating what you want. It’s a change in two things-their time schedule and how their body is functioning. You end up eating at later times than you did in high school, when your body’s metabolism is naturally slowing down.”
According to a study done by Tufts Universitys researchers, there is no need to worry. The “Freshman 15” is only a myth.
“While the Tufts study finds that students do gain weight their first year, the average is about only 6 pounds for men and 4.5 pounds for women,” reports Boston’s Channel 5 news.
“Yeah, that sounds more reasonable,” said Kim about the report. “Fifteen pounds is a lot of weight. I think the ‘freshman 15’ is exaggerated.”
But is that seemingly small amount of weight still considered too much weight?
“It is something to worry about,” says Sarah Evangelista ’06. “Many college students have tried many things to lose the weight, and no matter how much they burn off, the weight will come back.”
DiMuzio said, “I think one of the concerns that this age group has is, ‘Do I look the way I want to look?’ They become much more self conscious about it. They might notice that their clothes are fitting a bit differently. Students who are much more health conscious are more aware of the changes.”
While this should be a relief to all college students, there is still a chance for weight gain, and it is still up to them to make sure they stay healthy. A balanced diet is important to keeping the extra weight off. Drink plenty of water, eat a good amount of fruits and vegetables, and watch the fat content in your foods.
Students should also be aware of their alcohol intake. Some may think that if they skip meals to make up for the extra alcohol content, it won’t be any different than if they ate a normal meal. That is not the right way to go about it, according to DiMuzio.
“The body won’t use the alcohol calories the same way that it would with healthy food calories,” said DiMuzio. “The body only wants one drink a day for women and two a day for men.”
Exercise is another key factor to keep from gaining a little extra weight. Staying fit should be an important part in every student’s life, no matter how much they weigh. But students who are truly very worried about the mythical “freshman 15” should make sure they take the right precautions.
Mark Higgins ’06 said, “People have to take their own initiative. Run- go to the gym.”
“My roommate is freaking out about the gym,” says Kim. “My floormates, who never went to the gym back at home, all seem to flock to the gym.”
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