The freshman 15 is known and dreaded throughout America's colleges. Freshmen arrive wide-eyed and na?ve to the do's and do nots of well-balanced nutritional habits.
The possibilities abound in the dining halls from cereal and eggs to brownies and ice cream. When students are free to choose what to eat, they tend to opt for the food they like. This usually means fast-food. Instead of the healthy home cooked food students used to have in high school, freshmen are faced with pizza, cheeseburgers, and Chinese food in college.
In addition, students with meal plans are usually lured by the variety of desserts TDR offers.
"You have the opportunity to eat as much ice cream and cake as you want," said a senior who gained 27 pounds during her freshman year.
Some international students also gain weight during their first year. They blame it on the big servings and the type of foods that are offered. Still, it can be easy to dismiss the idea of the freshman 15. Some students say they did not gain weight as freshmen. Some even lost weight, but this is not the norm, according to a study performed on 60 freshmen at Cornell University. The study found that the students gained an average of 4.2 pounds during their first 12 weeks at college.
To avoid weight gain, exercise at the Jacobs Fitness Center or join a sports team through the intramurals program. Also, there are various places on campus that offer nutritious food. For instance, TDR offers a wide variety of foods low in fat and calories. There is also a nutritionist who comes to campus once a week to offer help to students. Those who try to be more physically active on a daily basis and work toward better eating habits at each meal should achieve a healthy weight.
Nutrition News is a column that is compiled and contributed by Professor Anastasia Snelling's Nutrition Class.
