Watch out, Freshman Fifteen's coming for you!

College is right around the corner for all of us. The late night studying, the stress, the parties, the people, all of it is new and exciting. Will I like my roommate? Will my professors be cool and interesting? Will it really be that hard? Will I pass my classes? All of these questions come to mind when I think of college. But unfortunately another revolves around college cafeterias. Will I be a victim of the Freshman Fifteen? Dun dun dun dun… 

According to WebMD, nearly one of every four freshman students gain approximately ten pounds during the first semester of college. Frightening? Yes. When one questions the reasons behind this it seems pretty obvious. First of all, if you’re really pushing to get A’s, most likely you will be spending most of your time in the library studying when you’re not in class. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for exercise. A lot of high school students play sports, but not many continue on to collegiate athletics. This could happen to many of us, high school athletes, whose bodies are used to having exercise to count on to metabolize food such as carbs that fuel and replenish our muscles.

Another obvious source of weight gain is bad eating habits. As stated in the article College Cafeteria Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, College cafeteria food commonly includes all-you-can-eat soda, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, and large selections of desserts. Although healthier foods are offered, when you’re stressed out and tired, would you want to eat a healthy salad? More often than not, the answer is no. Comfort food such as pizza or cookies are the first pick. Having the freedom to choose what you want and when you want it, is also risky. Irregular schedules contribute to the mix: a slice of pizza is quicker than eating a salad. Also due to irregular sleep patterns, many college students skip breakfast. Research has shown that this encourages the brain to crave higher-calorie foods. 

Another source that many do not consider, is the ingestion of alcohol. Partying in college is common, and it is said that almost everyone does it. Therefore almost everyone is subject to the hidden source of weight gain. Not only does alcohol add on calories to your daily intake, it has been found that alcohol halts “lipid oxidation,” so basically it makes it difficult for the body to burn fat. 

Although the “freshman fifteen” is a commonly feared part of college, other studies show that it is not necessarily something to be feared. Jay Zagorsky, a research scientist, found that on average, women gained only 3.1 pounds, and men gained 3.5 pounds within the first year. Only 10% of freshman gain 15 pounds or more, and 25% lose weight! 

As we embark on our college journey, let’s hope that we keep our exercise and eating habits in check, and stay out of that 10%!