Fighting Freshman 15

Every college student seems to deal with many issues when they come to college. One they all have in common is dealing with weight gain—specifically the freshman 15.

The freshman 15 is the theory that when freshman students come to college, they inevitably gain 15 pounds in their first year of college. While the 15 pounds isn’t true for all freshman, gaining some weight normally is.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology, “although freshman college students gain weight, few gain the legendary 15 pounds. The students' weight trajectory does, however, suggest opportunities for health promotion during the transition from high school to college dorm life.”

The challenge with weight gain for freshmen is in the transition from home to college. There is a new found sense of freedom where students have all kinds of food in front of them to choose from. All of a sudden, they can eat snacks late at night while studying and there is always a desert table in their cafeteria.

The food options around them are different than what they are used to at home. Not only that but also they now get to decide what to eat and when to eat it.

Ashley Martin, a Special Education sophomore at Stephen F. Austin University, said, “I think a lot of it is because it’s a whole new thing and you’re on your own. Either you have a job so you’re paying for your own food or you’re getting an allowance from your parents but they’re not there to say you need to stay home and eat dinner, so a lot of it is on your own.”

So how do you stay healthy and maintain weight gain when you have all these options around?

The obvious first items on the checklist are eating healthier and making sure you get your exercise. According to Hanna Dunahoe, the dietetics intern at SFA, students should try to eat healthier things in the cafeteria. Choosing grilled food, steamed veggies, and beans over a burger and fries can go a long way for your health. Also for snacks, try fruits and nuts for a healthier option.

SFA students can be counseled in dealing with nutrition, weight gain, and other food related topics by the SFA Dietitian for free.

Dunahoe said, “I know it’s hard to think about but it’s not about how you look but about how healthy you are. I know I had to learn that but overall it is more about your health than what you look like. If you are healthy, you will feel good and that can look different for everybody. That’s what I like to promote: eating healthy and feeling good with a balanced diet. You could have different needs like a unique diet that someone else doesn’t have. Seeing a dietician can definitely help.”

The fact of the matter is that everyone knows that eating healthy and exercising can help you maintain weight gain and be a healthier person.

In college it can seem like being healthy is hard but to help control weight gain, the individual must decide they want to be healthier.

One issue that can stem from a fear of the freshman 15 is actually developing an eating disorder. Many freshman, guys and girls included, become so obsessed and afraid of gaining the freshman 15 that they eventually develop an eating disorder.

“[Gaining the freshman 15] can lead to restrictive things,” Dunahoe said, “not a lot but some people can get into eating disorders and you see that prevalence in college students. It’s hard because we want to see fast results and we compare ourselves to other people in general.”

While not everyone may develop a full blown eating disorder, losing too much weight is still harmful to the body. Martin said that she was one of the freshman who lost too much weight. “I ended up being under the proper weight because I was so scared of the freshmen 15. My mom threatened to force feed me if I didn’t eat. I had to start eating properly again and not be fearful of gaining weight.”

These students have to choose to get help if they need it, eat better and exercise. Once that choice is made, the student has to stick with it to see results.

For Martin, she “definitely had to watch what I ate. In high school, I was a cross country athlete and I was running 50-60 miles a week. I had a really high metabolism so coming to college I had to really watch what I ate and what kind of food I put into my body and I didn’t want to put too much food in my body but I was always hungry because I was in that runner perspective.”

Your body is different from others so you have to find what works best for you in maintaining weight gain and health.

One thing that is difficult for some students is living on a college budget. How can you eat better on a budget?

“There are some fresh vegetables that are cheap and there are some fruits that can be more expensive, but you have to be aware of it. Beans are pretty cheap and they have good nutritional value. Vegetables may not taste as good canned,” said Dunahoe.

Not everything out there that is healthy is expensive, so knowing that and acting upon it can help students with weight gain.

“You have the freedom and responsibility. It’s one of the things you have to experience and then step back and find a balance. So from that, people have this fear of ‘I don’t want to gain the freshman 15.’ Instead of having the fear of the weight gain, there are some positive prevention strategies, and it’s going to look a little different for everyone,” said Dunahoe.

Overall, freshman 15 might be a myth but college students still gain weight and watching weight gain can help prevent students from becoming obese.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2 in 3 adults are obese. Statistics like these are often what cause panic over weight gain, especially among college students.

Students can start their freshman year off by eating better, exercising, and making healthier choices to ensure they stay healthy in the long run.

Martin believes that the best way to prevent the freshman 15 is to not worry about and just focus on achieving small goals. “A lot of people have horror stories about it but it’s not too hard. Just take the flight of stairs, the littlest things help. You just have to be careful of what you put into your body, like eating an apple over a cookie. The littlest things make a difference.”

#health #weight #college