Freshman face fat fears
trying to understand the words coming out of a Calculus teacher’s mouth are enough stresses for the average freshmen.
With all this time dedicated to class and studying, who has enough time to worry about the dreaded “Freshman 15” that could be lurking around the corner?
“I know a lot of girls who worry about it. I didn’t personally gain it, but one of my friends did. I think the fact that you’re not living at home and eating a balanced meal has something to do with it,” Tayma Seamons a sophomore majoring in music, said.
“My roommate says she’s gained like 10 pounds a year and she’s afraid that by the time she graduates, she might explode,” said Ranae Bangerter, a sophomore majoring in journalism.
The term “Freshman 15” refers to the 15 pounds that students supposedly gain their first year at college. The myth is that the students in their Freshman year will gain 15 pounds of extra weight. In actuality, weight gain may differ and some students even lose weight in their freshman year.
Myth or not, USU is doing research to investigate the overall health of its freshman students. The study is headed by Dr. Heidi Wengreen, assistant professor of nutrition. The idea surfaced after Wengreen had looked at previous health studies other universities had done on the freshman 15.
The purpose of USU’s study is not to prove or disprove the theory of the “freshman 15,” but rather to understand the factors related to the health of Utah State’s freshmen.
“We’re just trying to analyze the overall freshmen health during this time of change in their lives,” said Mary Austin, one of the study’s undergraduate researchers.
“I lost like 40 lbs. when I came to college. I walked more than I ever did when I was at home and I didn’t have food at my disposal 24/7 – my cupboards were bare,” Rusty Rigby, a senior majoring in math education, said.
“About the freshman 15 – I don’t think it is possible! We really don’t have tons of food to be eating back at my apartment.” Nicole Welch, a freshmen majoring in elementary education, said.
“There is so much walking involved with the whole college experience. Hopefully I’ll keep it all off,” Andrea Thease, a freshmen majoring in chemistry, said.
One cause of the “Freshman 15” is the fact that many students who were active in sports in high school do not continue to participate during their college years because they need to spend more time on their studies. Because they are not as active, students often become stressed more easily and some resort to consuming large amounts of food to relieve their anxiety. In more and more cases, the actual weight gain is being replaced with 20-22 pounds of extra weight – a scary trend that is often seen on the current western college students.
“I don’t support it. It is my personal goal to lose the freshmen 15, so if anybody would like mine, they are more than welcome to it,” Stephanie Adams, a freshmen majoring in communication disorders/English education, said.
“I will not succumb! I do not want to gain that weight, so when I grocery shop, I avoid snacks, sweets and fatty foods. That, and I decided to walk to school instead of drive so I can get some exercise in,” Sarah Rahimzadeh, a freshman in elementary education, said.
“Freshman 15 is just a myth. The only weight we’re gaining is an extra book load,” said Jaime Wilson, a freshmen majoring in aerospace engineering.
Two hundred single, incoming freshmen who graduated in the spring of 2005 volunteered to participate in the study. Students participating in the study received free USU T-shirt as well as $10 after each of the three phases of data collection.
At each data collection, students will be weighed and measured and asked to complete a 30-40 minute take-home and mail-back survey about their diet, physical activity and other health issues. The data collection phases take place during the beginning and end of fall semester and at the end of spring semester. At the end of spring semester, participants will also be asked to provide a sample of blood for genetic and biomarker analysis.
“The purpose of the research is to benefit USU. We hope to share our results with the Health Center and the Counseling Center and maybe – eventually – we’ll even get a class going for freshmen the first week to talk about overall health,” said Austin.
-amcconkie@cc.usu.edu