College is a time to experience a great number of firsts. College is the time in which we are expected to be "scholars of tomorrow" and to have an existential view of the world around us.
It is fascinating to think that despite all of this pressure put around us in an academic environment, the one thing that many college students cannot avoid stressing over is the sudden weight gain. This so-called "freshman fifteen" has been the concern of college students for generations.
But a new study has found that the whole "freshman fifteen" concept is totally off base. The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and numerous other publications and blogs recently covered an Ohio State University study that disproved this myth. Faculty from Ohio State and the University of Michigan at Dearborn performed the study. The study did find that students gain on average two and a half to three and a half pounds during their freshman year.
The study followed 7,000 Americans between the ages of thirteen and seventeen since 1997 and has measured their weight from that point on.
The study also found that just 10 percent of those surveyed gained fifteen pounds or more their freshman year of college or university. Another surprising fact quite contrary to the myth is that 25 percent of those surveyed actually lost weight during their freshman year.
The study did show that the fifteen-pound weight gain could apply to one's entire college career. Women gain an average of seven to nine pounds throughout their time at college, while men gain an average of twelve to thirteen pounds.
Co-author of the study, Jay Zagorsky, Ph.D., said, "Most students don't gain large amounts of weight. And it is not college that leads to weight gain — it is becoming a young adult."
The study tracked a number of things, including whether or not they lived in a dormitory, full-time or part-time status, attended a private school or public school, and if they were considered a heavy drinker or not. For this study's purposes, the researchers defined a heavy drinker as one who drinks six or more drinks on four or more occasions per month.
Even though the study shows that being a heavy drinker increases one's likelihood of gaining weight, alcohol consumption alone was responsible for an average of just half a pound more than those who didn't drink quite as frequently.
The only lifestyle factor that seemed to correlate with the amount of weight gained was the level of alcohol consumption. Zagorsky continued, "College students don't face an elevated risk of obesity because they gain a large amount of weight during their freshman year. Instead, they have moderate but steady weight gain throughout early adulthood."
The research also pointed out that the myth itself can be dangerous, especially among college females, since it carries the connotation that freshmen are overweight. "Weight gain should not be a primary concern for students going off to college."
Newfound freedom and dorm room living were also dismissed as reasons for weight gain, as Zagorsky also pointed out. "There has been concern that access to all-you-can-eat cafeterias and abundant fast food choices, with no parental oversight, may lead to weight gain, but that doesn't seem to hold true for most students."
Zagorsky's intent was to show how rapidly a person of average weight can become obese. Stress was placed on one's ability to be able to adapt to a healthier lifestyle following college. Median weight gains for the four years post-graduation were gains of roughly 1.5 pounds per year. That number rose to 2.2 pounds five years after graduation.
Zagorsky's main advice was to start up a healthy lifestyle for the rest of one's life. He said, "The big question is not, ‘What can freshmen do?' — at least not in my mind. It's much more, ‘How can you live a healthy lifestyle for the long-term and not feel bad about big Sunday brunch in the cafeteria?'"
