The change in lifestyle, from dependence to independence, might be the cause of the weight gain known as “The Freshman 15.”
The Freshman 15 is an expression that most students have heard about as they enter the college realm. This expression refers to the amount of weight a freshman typically gains in their first year of college.
The question, however, is whether the Freshman 15 is fact or fiction. The bottom line is, yes, students tend to gain weight in their first year on campus. However, there is a misconception as to how much weight people put on during their first year at college.
Dr. Claudia Vadeboncœur, in summarizing the findings of a 2015 meta-analysis of several studies conducted between 1980 and 2014 on college freshman weight gain, states that the average tends to be from 7.5 – 10 pounds. This weight gain is largely localized to those freshmen who live on campus as full-time students.
Students who live on campus in their first year are now free of their family and their influence, which means they no longer eat what their family has planned in the traditionally spaced out time frame that many families abide by.
Gaining independence also means managing a time schedule, which can be difficult when freshmen are just learning how to live on their own. This allows eating time to be a matter of convenience, which is to say instead of taking time to create a healthy meal people decide to eat fast food.
At UTM, freshmen who live on campus are required to get a meal plan. These meal plans have the option of getting a large amount of Captain’s Cash, which can be used to buy unhealthy meals.
With their meal plans, students can live exclusively off the food available in the cafeteria or food court without having to put their day on hold to cook.
Some speculate the cause of the Freshman 15 is the change in food availability and quality, especially in small towns like Martin, where there is a lack of variety, i.e. only fast food and the cafeteria.
In many of these places there is a lack of variety in the healthy choices and the rest of the food is poor quality. It is important to make sure some of students’ diets are fresh and homemade meals.
Being wary of the lifestyle that each student is living is a large part of maintaining a healthy balance and avoiding the Freshman 15. Trying to avoid eating whatever is most convenient might be the best option for students to live healthy and maintain their current weight.
So, the change in diets and individual habits have a lot to do with the Freshman 15 creeping up on people. In order to avoid the small hiccup of gaining the supposed 15 pounds, it might behoove students to take the time to go grocery shopping and cook inside their dorms.
This is important, as all of UTM’s dorms have kitchens available for students to prepare their own homemade, fresh, healthy foods. Our local stores, Walmart or Ruler Foods, can supply healthy fresh vegetables, fruits and meats to help maintain a balanced diet.
This can be easier said than done for many students. In an article from The Tennessean published in 2014, Weakly County was identified as a so-called “food desert,” not because of a lack of access to healthy options, but because many residents did not have access to a vehicle. It is sometimes taken for granted that everyone has a car, but for many on-campus students that may not be a safe assumption. Students may need to seek out options like carpooling to get access to better food options.
However, if buying groceries is not in the budget, UTM’s Sodexo can help students who have a specialized diet plan for their health, and it is not just limited to people with allergies.
If you need a little help keeping your health and diet in a good balance talk to a Sodexo manager or chef and see what kind of options are available for you.
