This study says it is. It’s not that college kids aren’t gaining weight, researchers found, but it’s a slow, steady increase that occurs over the course of early adulthood, regardless of whether one is in college.
One researcher was quoted as saying:
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. Anyone who gains 1.5 pounds every year will become obese over time, no matter their initial weight.
That’s even more depressing than the “freshman fifteen,” isn’t it?
[Hat tip: Food Service Director]
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Bettina Elias Siegel
Lauren says
Interesting perspective…but I still would argue that freshmen year triggers a drastic weight gain in many students, which is different than just a steady weight gain throughout adulthood. I was so depressed about leaving high school and my friends and family that I pretty much ate my feelings until I was 20-25 pounds heavier! After being skin and bones my entire life, this was shocking and took a huge emotional toll on me. Thankfully, I lost it all (and then some) the following year.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
I’m sure that was really hard, Lauren, both the gaining and the losing. I agree that it’s hard to believe this study’s findings – and I do wonder about the point Lenee made here, i.e., what these kids’ habits were like before college?
Bri says
Yeah, I don’t think it’s a TOTAL myth. Sure, there’s a lot more subtle weight gain throughout adulthood than people necessarily want to admit, but the whole act of being on your own, living away from home, and having access to all the food choices at all hours of the day can really add up to extra pounds quickly. My freshman year roommate gained 30 pounds in the first two years of college. I gained five, then took it back off again by junior year. Other people were anywhere else on the spectrum; but you can’t tell me the 2 a.m. pizza and nachos, and the thrill of freedom, don’t have anything to do with college kids gaining weight at first!
Bettina Elias Siegel says
I agree. When I think of all the things I ate, and the insanely late hours at which I ate them, it’s kind of a miracle I DIDN’T get huge.
Lenee says
I wonder if the freshman 15 is becoming more and more a ‘myth’ because so many kids are already eating a bunch of crap before leaving for school? Back a few generations ago, generally, kids used to go from being in a household with home cooked meals to college dorm rooms with all the processed foods and late night snacking. Hence, the freshman fifteen. Now, generally, a lot of kids have already started the processed food/late night snacking years earlier, having already packed on the five, ten, fifteen, or twenty…. and transitioning to dorm life isn’t that much of a change in how they’re were eating in the first place. I don’t know….. just a thought.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
That’s a really good point. It would be interesting to know how many of those studied here were already overweight when they arrived, or already eating poorly.
EdT. says
I think I gained about 12 lbs in the year after high school. I spent most of the time living at home and taking care of my mother (who was recuperating from surgery), and even though I rode a bicycle – hard – about 2 hrs/day on average, I ended up putting on some pounds by the time I enlisted in the military.
I think it has something to do with the fact that, although I was not as physically active as I was in high school, I still ate pretty much the same. I don’t know how much PE high schoolers get today, but given the rate of obesity I don’t know that the “freshman 15” is as noticeable anymore.
~EdT.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
I gained weight, too, although not to much, thankfully. In my case I DO think it was the sudden influx of late night pizza, (surprisingly) good dining hall food, and, yes, alcohol!
Dr. Susan Rubin says
I’ve got two kids in college now, I’ve seen the atrocities that are present in many college campuses. In most cases, freshmen are REQUIRED to buy a full meal plan.
The freshman 15 has been bumped up to the freshman 30 in many cases. There was a great segment from a “food court” college that we filmed for the Two Angry Moms movie that had to get edited out. If you saw what I saw at this one school, you wouldn’t send your kid there!!!!!
Some of those colleges with the most offensive toxic food environments are run by some of the same food management corporations that are in K-12 public schools. I’ll be nice and not name names, but you know who they are. College food is super duper profitable, always follow the money!
The good news is there is a very active group called the Real Food Challenge that is working to change all of that. http://realfoodchallenge.org/
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Susan – Ha! No need to name names . . . And I love the Real Food Challenge. Check out my interview with one RFC college student, Marisa Turesky.