‘Freshman 15’ myth busted by new study
Freshmen may be able to lay to rest their fears about gaining the notorious “freshman 15” pounds. According to a recent study, the average freshman gains 3 pounds during his or her first year.
“Our results indicate that the ‘freshman 15′ is a media myth,” the research states. “While freshmen do gain weight, the observed average increase … falls far short of the ominous 15 pounds.”
The study, titled “The Freshman 15: A Critical Time for Obesity Intervention or Media Myth?” examined data from college-aged students nationwide and concluded the popular phrase has little scientific support. The study was conducted by Ohio State University and will be published in the December issue of Social Science Quarterly.
Dr. Jim Davis, director of the Student Health and Wellness Center, said data collected from USU surveys are similar to the findings of the study — the average USU freshman does not gain 15 pounds.
Use of the inaccurate phrase may harm students rather than help them, according to the study.
“Repeated use of the phrase ‘the freshman 15,’ even if it is being used just as a catchy alliterative figure of speech, may contribute to the misperception of being overweight,” the study states.
Davis said he agrees. The idea that most freshmen put on 15 pounds can have a negative impact on people with eating disorders or body-image dissatisfaction, he said.
“Weight gain itself doesn’t cause much behavioral change,” Davis said. “It’s not going to cause depression; it’s not going to cause anxiety. What causes it is the obsession with weight. Their reaction isn’t to over eat, their reaction is to starve. They’re afraid they’re going to put on the freshman 15.”
Brooke Parker, a dietitian at the Health and Wellness Center, said although she has spoken with USU students concerned about the freshman 15, she doesn’t believe the average student gains that much.
“I have not seen, through the USU community, that the freshman 15 is valid, or percentage-wise, is anything to ever be concerned about,” Parker said.
Throughout her career working with students, Parker said she has seen media misconceptions have an increasingly negative impact on students.
“I get very irritated with media messages, because I feel like so many of them are based on scare tactics and the rush of selling the story,” Parker said. “Moderation just isn’t as exciting.”
The freshman 15 misconception might lead some students to believe they will automatically gain 15 pounds unless they take extreme measures to avoid it, Parker said. In addition to causing too much concern about overall weight, media messages can give people an unhealthy focus on single elements of nutrition, she said.
“I have (worked with) some people who are terrified of carbs, based on media messages — or saturated fat,” Parker said. “There are just so many elements of nutrition that I have to dispel all the myths (students are) bringing into their nutrition world.”
USU has several options for students who have questions about maintaining a healthy diet in college, Parker said. At usu.edu/nutrition, students can learn about basic nutrition and get tips to make eating right less of a challenge.
The Health and Wellness Center also offers Grocery Shopping 101, a tour guided by senior dietetics students through a local supermarket. Parker said students can also meet with her or with student dieticians facilitated through her office.
Davis said young women are particularly susceptible to an unhealthy focus on weight, and many may think they’re gaining weight when they’re really not.
“They’re in their prime of their hormonal fluctuations, which means they put on water premenstrually, they take water off postmenstrually (and again) they put on water premenstrually,” Davis said. “So if they watch the scale closely, they’ll think they’ve gained and gained and gained. When really, they lose it right off, and they stay pretty stable.”
While most college students do gain weight, the study states the causes have more to do with the transition into adulthood than college attendance.
According to the study, college students only gain about a half pound more per year than people the same age who aren’t in college. Rather than a sudden gain in weight during freshman year, on average, young adults experience a steady and gradual gain in the years before, during and after college, the study states.
Davis said instead of worrying about the mythical freshman 15, students can approach weight management from a healthier angle.
“Diet plus exercise equals balance,” Davis said. “You can exercise enough that you can eat about anything you want, and you can exercise so little that no matter what you eat you’re going to gain weight.”
College students have so many other potential detractors from emotional health that they’d be better off worrying less about their weight, Davis said.
– steve.kent@aggiemail.usu.edu