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The term "Freshman 15" is an expression commonly used in the United States and Canada to refer to weight gain during a student's first year in college. Although the 15 refers to a 15 lb. (6.8 kg) weight gain, the expression can apply to weight gain in general. In Australia and New Zealand, it is sometimes referred to as "First Year Fatties",[1] "Fresher Spread",[2] or "Fresher Five",[3][4] the latter referring to a gain of 5 kg (11 lb).
Causes of this weight gain may be linked to increased alcohol intake, consumption of fat and carbohydrate-rich foods, malnutrition, stress, and decreased levels of exercise.
Research into the subject has shown that on average, a college student gains from 2-3 lb. (1-1.5 kg) of weight during their first year.[5]
Counter-argument
editDespite common use of the term, a study from the Ohio State University found that the average female college student gains two pounds and the average male college student gains three pounds (1 and 1.5 kg, respectively) in their first year. Additionally, the research showed that the gain was a half pound (around 200 grams) more than non-college students of the same age and that heavy drinking was the main factor for such weight increase.[5]
Another study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health) found that on average, college freshmen gained 2.7 pounds. Additionally, half of the students surveyed gained weight, and 15% of the students lost weight.[6]
Presumed causes
editDining halls
editA study conducted on 60 students at Cornell University showed that 20% of the weight gained by the students was likely caused by the dining halls' environment.[7]
Alcohol consumption
editNutrition
editThe body has a certain number of calories that it needs to consume in order to maintain its weight. This is determined through height, weight, age, and several other factors that differ from person to person. When a person takes in more or fewer calories than that set limit, weight is either gained or lost. Alcohol's calories content tend to lead to unwanted extra calories.[8]
| Alcoholic drink | Calories[8] |
|---|---|
| Beer, lite, 12 oz. | 100 |
| Beer, regular, 12 oz. | 150 |
| Frozen daiquiri, 4 oz. | 216 |
| Gin, 1.5 oz. | 110 |
| Mai tai, 4 oz. | 310 |
| Margarita, 4 oz. | 270 |
| Rum, 1.5 oz. | 96 |
| Vodka, 1.5 oz. | 96 |
| Whiskey, 1.5 oz. | 105 |
| Wine spritzer, 4 oz. | 49 |
| Wine, dessert, sweet, 4 oz. | 180 |
When drinking alcohol on a regular basis, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can follow. Examples of these deficiencies are as follows:
- Folate: Folate helps to create and maintain new cells. Alcohol interferes with the intake, absorption, transport, storage, and release of folate.
- Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is required to make DNA and maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells. Alcohol has been shown to decrease the levels of B12.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is needed for vision, regulation of the immune system, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and differentiation. Alcohol decreases the levels of this vitamin and increases toxicity when alcohol is consumed in large amounts.
- Calcium: Calcium is needed for blood vessel and muscle movement, for the secretions of certain hormones and enzymes, and for sending messages through the nervous system. Consumption of alcohol can cause a loss of calcium through urinary excretion.
These deficiencies can lead to weight issues caused by malnutrition. Often, this is how certain cravings arise.[8]
About 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing classes, falling behind, doing poorly on exams, and overall receiving lower grade.[9] Students who are involved in fraternities and sororities in college tend to have the highest alcohol consumption rates.[9]
Researchers have found that those who consumed drinks of higher alcohol strength, ate significantly more than the others and also ate more fatty and salty foods. They also found that urges to snack were much higher among drinkers.[10]
Foods with alcohol
editAccording to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's research, people who tend to drink the largest amount of alcohol have the poorest eating habits compared to those who do not consume much alcohol. In this study, researchers compared the 'healthy eating' scores of 3,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with their overall consumption of alcohol. They used frequency, quantity, and average daily volume to measure the alcohol consumption.
The researchers found that as the alcohol quantity increased, the Health Index scores declined. Diet quality was the poorest among those who consumed the largest quantity of alcohol. Care packages filled with unhealthy treats, usually sent by parents, are found to be the leading cause of weight gain. Those who drank less alcohol in an infrequent time frame had the best health index scores overall.[11]
A study done by Jatturong R. Wichianson and colleagues at the University of Southern California showed a direct relationship between eating late at night (night eating syndrome) and stress levels among college students. They used a standardized test to measure both the levels of NES and perceived stress each student had. The results showed that students who had higher levels of stress were more likely to have NES due to their inability to adapt.[12]
By gender
editNicole L. Mihalopoulos and colleagues developed a study at a private university in the northeastern United States. Test subjects were made up of male and female freshmen college students who lived on campus. They took an online survey to answer questions about their eating patterns, social behaviors, and weight. The purpose of this was to discover if the individuals showed signs of body image issues or eating disorders.
125 freshmen were eligible for testing and the average age was 18.4. The results showed that about half of the test subjects gained weight. The men gained an average of 3.4 lb (1.5 kg), and the women gained an average of 1.7 lb (770 g) in their freshmen year. These results disproved their hypothesis that the women would have a larger weight gain than the men, but this stays consistent with other studies done on the hypothesis. Even though only 5% of the test subjects showed a weight gain of 15 lb (6.8 kg) or greater, the authors of this study concluded that the freshmen year in college has potential for weight gain and can even lead to obesity later in life.[13]
References
edit- ^ Cara (2013-05-10). "First Year Fatties | Health and Fitness". Mhsbroadcaster.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ^ Lissa Christopher (April 2011). "University life can make you fat". Smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ^ Nick. "The Fresher Five". Critic - Te Arohi. Otago University Students' Association. Archived from the original on 2017-04-12. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ Hercus, Josh. "Fresher FAQ". Critic - Te Arohi. Archived from the original on 2017-04-12. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ a b Palmer, Kim (November 1, 2011). ""Freshman 15" weight gain is a myth: study". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2011-11-02. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
- ^ Mihalopoulos, Nicole L.; Auinger, Peggy; Klein, Jonathan D. (2008). "The Freshman 15: Is it Real?". Journal of American College Health. 56 (5): 531–533. doi:10.3200/JACH.56.5.531-534. ISSN 0744-8481. PMC 2532948. PMID 18400665.
- ^ Levitsky, D. A.; Halbmaier, C. A.; Mrdjenovic, G. (November 2004). "The freshman weight gain: a model for the study of the epidemic of obesity". International Journal of Obesity. 28 (11): 1435–1442. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802776. PMID 15365585. S2CID 2415235.
- ^ a b c "Alcohol and Nutrition: Health and Disease Prevention - Does alcohol impact your weight?". MedicineNet. Archived from the original on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ^ a b "College Drinking" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ "How does alcohol consumption affect your weight and shape?". Archived from the original on 2018-04-14. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ "Unhealthy Drinking, Eating Habits Linked". Alcoholism.about.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ^ Wichianson, Jatturong R.; Stephanie A. Bughi; Jennifer B. Unger; Donna Spruijt-Metz; Selena T. Nguyen-Rodriguez (2009). "Perceived stress, coping and night-eating in college students". Stress and Health. 25 (3): 235–240. doi:10.1002/smi.1242. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05.
- ^ Mihalopoulos, Nicole L.; Peggy Auinger; Jonathan D. Klein (2008). "The Freshman 15: Is it Real?". Journal of American College Health. 56 (5): 531–3. doi:10.3200/JACH.56.5.531-534. PMC 2532948. PMID 18400665.
Bibliography
edit- Brown, C (March 2008). "The information trail of the 'Freshman 15' - a systematic review of a health myth within the research and popular literature". Health Information and Libraries Journal. 25 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00762.x. PMID 18251907.