The last thing I wanted to cover in my final blog post for the Alligator is the infamous Freshman 15.
The college boogieman
A Google search for "freshman 15" will yield a staggering 5 million results.
Ask any incoming college freshman what their concerns about college are and they'll more than likely tell you that besides getting good grades and finding their niche, the freshman 15 is something that is on their mind, particularly for college women.
The premise of gaining weight in college is simple: You are living on your own, so you will have more time to eat whatever and whenever you want and the all-you-can-eat dining halls doesn't make things easier. Also, unless you are playing intramural sports and working out regularly, there are no physical education requirements, much less sports classes anymore, in college.
Although these circumstances can contribute to weight gain, I've learned within the past year that the freshman 15 is nothing more than an old wive's tale.
Studies, studies and more studies
The term freshman 15 has been a part of college folklore dating as far back as 1985 when The Chicago Tribune published a story called, "Forget the calendar, for freshmen this is a leap year for growing up," by Barbara Brotman.
What opened my eyes about the freshman 15 was a 2006 New York Times story that shed light on this misnomer and was discussed in my journalism ethics class.
According to the story, college weight fluctuation is a relatively new field of study and researchers are unsure what percentage of the college population experiences weight changes and whether or not these changes are temporary and can lead to long-term health consequences.
A 2006 study performed at Rutgers University monitored the weight change in 67 Rutgers freshmen and the results were mixed. In the study, 18 students lost weight and 49 other students gained an average of about 7 pounds each.
Daniel J. Hoffman, the author of the study and assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers, said that the freshman 15 is a catchy phrase because no one would pay attention to the "freshman 5" and the "freshman 50" is unrealistic.
So why is the freshman 15 so popular?
According to Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S, many publications are churning out stories left and right on how to avoid the freshman 15, and blame weight gain on the often hectic, often unhealthy college lifestyle.
Although there's nothing wrong with publications promoting a healthy lifestyle, this preoccupation with weight gain has fostered a fear of fat, which the American culture has normalized, she said.
This fear of fat and preoccupation of body image/perception can lead many people, women in particular, to develop destructive behavior such as food restrictions and, at its worst, cases of bulimia and anorexia nervosa, she said.
Useful tips
According to a September report by The Atlanta Journal Constitution, here are some helpful tips on how to control weight gain in college:
● Take a food plan to college, not a diet. Have a plan that enables a healthy, enjoyable relationship with food.
● Eat consciously. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are mildly full.
● Move your body. Enjoyably. Keep up an activity level similar to high school.
● Stop comparing your body with others. Do not create a daily mandatory beauty contest in your head. Your college awards diplomas, not tiaras.
● If you are already at school with eating or body image issues ... put up a safety net fast. Meet regularly with a registered dietician who has eating disorder experience. Do not isolate and try to go it alone.
Warning signs there may be a problem:
● Makes excuses to skip meals and eat alone
● Preoccupation with food-related subjects in conversations
● Makes very critical statements about body
● Begins to isolate, cancel social contacts
● Begins to put exercise ahead of social events, studying and even classes
Outliers
Although the average weight gain for most college freshmen is about 7 pounds, there are people who will gain more than that their freshman year and will continue to gain weight throughout college.
For example, some people will lose weight because of low-calorie diets and are often stressed out, whereas other people eat high-sugar, high-fat foods and live a sedentary life.
There are also people who become sick from contracting mono, will lose weight and quickly gain it back after they eat normal again, and others will gain weight by packing on muscle from the gym.
When I was 14 years old, I weighed 130 pounds -- I was a stringbean. When I was 18 years old, I played football for Plant High School in Tampa, Fla. and weighed a chiseled 150 pounds through weight training as my body continued to develop.
By the start of my sophomore year of college, I weighed 160 pounds and was taking advanced weight training courses -- my bench press max was 205 pounds and my squat was 335. After I studied abroad in China for the summer after my sophomore year, I lost 10 pounds mainly because my diet over there had zero dairy. Now that I am graduating in a week, at 23, I weigh 170 pounds and am probably in the best shape I've ever been in since I started college.
Thankfully my weight has not dramatically fluctuated because I mindfully eat and make it a point to workout at least four days a week.
Ultimately, it comes down to making healthy choices and staying active.
Syanara Gators!
I hope that over the course of the semester this blog has provided helpful advice about how to live a healthy and active life in college and that you can continue to use this advice after college as well.
If you wish to continue reading my stuff, you can follow me on my other blog.
I want to give a special thanks to Ashley Ross, Hunter Sizemore, Josh Saval, Nathan Deen and Tom Plevik at The Alligator for giving me the opportunity to write about health and fitness for The Alligator and helping me throughout the semester.
Last, I'd like to thank three of the most influential teachers I've had in college in Mike Foley, Norm Lewis and Ted Spiker for teaching me what it means to be a professional.
Thanks again, and it was an absolute pleasure writing this blog.
Stay healthy, Gators!
