The Dreaded Freshman 15 Vanessa Varvarezis had only been at Villanova University for three weeks when she had finished half of the four bags of junk food her parents had sent away with her. The fabled Freshman 15 is said to affect college students in the first few months of school, adding about 15 pounds due to eating more. Men and women alike seem to think it is as much a part of higher education as reading lists and blue-book exams. “I think I already gained it,” Varvarezis said. She talked about one of her recent meals at one of Villanova’s dining halls, listing spaghetti, garlic bread, vegetables, numerous cookies, and fudge ice cream pop she had. The meal had totalled up to over 900 calories, and this was all before a late-night pizza run. A junior at the same college, Joe Leung had said he gained 25 pounds after going for …show more content…
This was confirmed later with room after room containing doughnuts, popcorn, chocolate, sodas, and more. “I gained 30 pounds last year,” Palko said. Gene Lamm, a junior at Beaver College in Glenside, shared an entire chocolate cake with two friends as he commented on the abdominal muscles he used to have. “I don’t know what happened to them,” Lamm said with a chuckle. He said he gained 20 pounds since he left home. The manager of California Style Pizza near Villanova, Jim Martin, said he routinely makes extra pizzas for the delivery people to take along and sell on the spot. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., his six employees deliver up to 50 pizzas per hour to the nearby campus. “We call them the pie hours,” he said. Widener University nutritionist Peg Abell believes that students often eat out of stress or in an effort to socialize and fit in. “Some people eat to feel better since eating can have a soothing effect,” Abell said. He also mentioned it could make people feel like they are controlling at least of part of their
While college students try to live their daily lives, many might not have the time to do as much as they used to do back in high school. Freshman college students could easily gain the “freshman 15.” There are so many ways to try and avoid gaining the weight. The most important way to avoid the freshman 15 is to eat healthy. Avoid consuming too many sugared drinks. And be sure to get plenty of sleep every night. Following all these steps could lead someone in the right direction of losing weight and not gaining the extra fifteen pounds. Just eat healthy and make good lifestyle choices throughout college.
When I arrived here at college I was extremely disappointed with the selection of food here in the cafeteria. I frequently found myself eating only hamburgers and pizza over and over again, simply because I did not like the other choices. About four months into the school year I had do go to the doctor for a virus and when the nurse weighed me I was a little surprised by what I saw. I had gained a little over ten pounds, close enough to what some refer to as the “Freshman 15.” It is a common fear among college students that they are going to gain fifteen pounds during the course of adjusting to college life. However experts have stated that the idea of the so called “Freshman 15,” is not that accurate. Every college student is obviously not going to gain fifteen pounds. However I believe that it is possible and it is a problem for many college students. College life completely changes eating habits among college students. Most students do not make the right choices about eating and exercising. College students across the country are severely unhealthy in their behaviors, and for some students the “Freshman 15” may be a reality.
“I have got this totally disgusting flab on the back of my arms that swings back and forth when I move,” said Fernandez, wearing an oversized champion sweatshirt to conceal her obesity.
Six months ago, she stood in front of her mirror, examining her body closely. Her stomach was flat and smooth, her waistline was to die for, and her friends and even complete strangers wished they had her shape in her size five jeans. She never had to work out, never played any sports, and she did not know what a squat was. She was happy and confident as her scale read 120 pounds. She smiled at the reflection of herself. She proudly wore her Seton Hall tank top and loved the feel of it. Six months later, she examines herself again. Her stomach has a little bulge and her hips spread slightly. Her skin hangs over her jeans, enticing her friends and family to laugh and pinch at it. The button on those size five jeans always comes undone when she sits down, consequently causing an open fly to embarrass her whenever she leaves class. She had to buy six new pairs of jeans, all of which were size sevens and nines. The Seton Hall tank top that she proudly wore before now has a tear on one of the straps and a hole in the back stitching. Her scale reads an unthinkable 130 pounds; she walks around shell shocked, for the rest of the day.
Starting college life is far from difficult; in fact it is fun starting a new way of life. Life without the constant objections from your parents and annoyance from your little sibling is one of the many advantages you gain from college. Cancelled classes, late night parties and deleterious amounts of food make college enjoyable; however, this can lead to weight gain. “Freshman 15” is not a myth and although you may not be unfortunate enough to gain 15 pounds, you might gain some weight. To avoid gaining weight, freshmen should eat healthy, avoid alcohol, and maintain a positive moral.
The anticipation of attending college floods teenagers with numerous thoughts. Living on their own, going to class when they please, staying out as late as they want, and surviving on food the dining hall provides or what they buy at the grocery store. More free time, or lack there of, may bring students spinning downwards towards bad eating habits and malnutrition. Rolling out of bed five minutes before class means grabbing a coffee on the way. Too much homework or a big project might mean skipping a healthy dinner and cooking some Ramen noodles or snacking on chips all night. This is where the “convenience foods” come in which are factory made dishes or meals that only need to be heated up or need just one or two additional ingredients.
Troxler, Howard. ?Much Mind Exercise and Too Little Physical Education Cause Flab.? The Times. October 2013.
Relevance: Weight problems are something a lot of people struggle with in college. I.E.; Freshman 15. And being healthy in college can really help people deal with other stuff better. Because when you don’t have to worry about your health you can focus on exams and homework more.
Obesity has risen over the years. The United States now has one of the highest obesity rates. Bad eating habits are usually the cause of this pandemic. For the past few decades, college dorm foods have led to these habits. The more unhealthy food choices are, the harder it is for people to resist these foods. Colleges serve a variety of unhealthy food in their dining halls that contributes to students’ lower GPA. By eating healthier, students can maintain a healthy weight, focus better in school, and increase their school performance to a higher grade point average (GPA).
Freshman year of college is a turning point in most young adult’s lives. They are moving away from home and living on their own or with peers. Tammy Smith, an incoming freshman is concerned about what her diet will be like while living in a dorm. She has heard that a lot of females in college will develop eating disorders because of their poor diet and possible weight gain from lack of exercise. Tammy started to do research on the internet and stumbled across “Healthy Eating: A Practical Guide” published by Concordia University. In the guide, it has guidelines and tips for college students to eat healthy while on a budget, and a chart for the amount of each food group that a female needs to eat to have a healthy diet. While doing
Our eating habits are start when we are young. Many of the factors lead into the onset of poor eating habits are sports, busy parents, after school activities, or a job. In an article called “Big Men on CAMPUS,” it talks about the amount of food some football players are encouraged to eat. The main point this article raises is for those who don’t make it or those who do make it but don’t play in the big leagues
The nutrients that they get from food are what contribute to help all the systems in their body function properly. In their first year, students are in a transition phase between the kind and amount of nutrients they used to get at home and the ones they are getting in college. Instead of helping students make a smooth transition, the food that is offered in the meal plan makes it rough for them. This rough transition occurs mainly occurs because the meal plan 's food does not have high nutritional value. Consequently, the results of the rough transition reflects on the student 's health, academic performance, and athletic performance. For instance, Kelly Harris, a first-year student-athlete, said, "It would be easier to eat healthier without meal plans, that’s for sure.” When you have meal plans and you can eat at the school’s buffet. People do not tend to eat the healthiest of foods prepared when so many delicious, rather than nutritious, options are served. A correlation between fifteen pounds of weight gain and the college freshman year has been made because of meal plans. Many of the meals provided to students with meal plans are not quality meals, just innutritious food. They are prepared ahead of time and have been sitting out. That does not sound healthy or appetizing to me. I think that eating unhealthy food, such as the food provided by the meal plan, is not benefiting my energy level. It could
The legendary “freshman 15 “can now be renamed “myth 15 “. Since reports, statistics, and facts show that you really do not again 15 pounds your first year when you off to college. The problem is not properly categorized, is not relevant to the situation of weight gain but about creating a healthy lifestyle habits. College is the opportunity to explore and find your career path for the real world. Just like anything else you have to structure what you eat and know what you are putting in your body. Everything should be done in moderation.
College students struggle to find accessible healthy meals. This inaccessibility may derive from insufficient funds, scheduling or the inability to cook. In Owensboro, the cheapest foods tend to contain additives and unnecessary byproducts. Healthy foods sit on the shelves, students struggle to afford the fresh foods or cannot cook with them. A young person may leave healthy options at the store for convenience food sources often results in said person eating an unhealthy diet. Finding healthy foods with a college time schedule and budget presents a challenge to many students. Students attempting to eat healthy on a shoestring budget, and cook a meal on a tight schedule often give up. Many surveyed college students eat less than 2 servings of vegetables a day (Rao 1). During their college years college students develop eating habits that can follow them throughout their lives. Eating fruits and vegetables contributes to healthy young adults and possibly promotes emotional well-being (White 1). Many college students eat out because it is cheaper and faster than eating at home. Processed foods tend be more available and cheaper, activly going out and buying better foods tends to be more expensive.
I won’t ask who has gained this weight, but by a raise of hands, how many of you have thought to yourself, “Are my jeans getting tighter?”