Dining hall buffets and late-night fast food runs often fuel the “freshman 15” phenomenon first-year college students might fear when they move away from mom’s wholesome home-cooked meals.
However, a recent Ohio State University study indicates the dreaded freshman 15 is more hyped-up myth than reality. Researchers found that typical weight gain for college freshmen is actually between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds.
The study will appear in the December 2011 issue of Social Science Quarterly. Researchers compared weights of 7,418 youth around the country, the study’s co-author told Ohio State University Research News. The weights were recorded over 14 years through the study participants’ adolescence.
“Two to four pounds is not a dramatic weight gain and would not be considered unhealthy,” said Tina Shepard, registered dietician and senior lecturer in ASU’s nutrition program.
Shepard said the biggest components of unwanted weight gain freshman year come from late night snacking, the tendency to skip important meals such as breakfast and an increased consumption of alcohol.
When Shepard was a college student, the phenomenon was referred to as the freshmen 10, she said.
“It is a myth, but it is not a myth that people gain weight when they go off to college,” she said.
Her advice to any college student is to eat regularly and not skip meals. Skipping meals can cause overeating later in the day to compensate for the lack of nutrition at mealtime.
Because of ASU’s dorm cafeterias all-you-can-eat meal plans, Shepard said students have to be disciplined and not go back for seconds and thirds.
Melinda Johnson, registered dietician and lecturer at the ASU School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, said the best thing a student can do is to learn to cook healthy, simple meals for themselves.
“One of the main contributing factors is the chaotic lifestyle of college,” she said. “This is the first time most are taking care of themselves.”
Like Shepard, Johnson also said college students are also consuming more alcohol and many forget or do not realize it has a high caloric content.
Alcohol, she said, has more calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins.
Criminal justice freshmen Madison Hunter and Mercedes Fowler follow a gym routine to avoid unwanted weight gain.
“I thought about the freshman 15, but after I got here, I got a gym membership, and I thought, ‘It’s kind of impossible for me,’” Fowler said. “I didn’t worry about it after that.”
Fowler, who was an athlete in high school, said she realizes exercise and healthy eating habits are the best way to keep off the weight.
Hunter has noticed her male friends tend to care more about the freshman 15 phenomenon.
“From people I know I think guys have been gaining more weight,” she said. “They worry about it more. We have a couple of guy friends that have been on fad diets and stuff like that; I think us girls worry about it less.”
The study showed men typically gained a pound more than women in their first year of college, but this gain is still not at a level that would be considered unhealthy.
Shepard said freshman year weight gain can be different for everyone, and some students even lose weight in their first year of college.
“Everyone reacts to change and stress differently,” she said. “It is important to find a well-balanced diet to continue to be healthy.”
Reach the reporter at newlin.tillotson@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
