The ‘Freshman 15′
A typical college meal can be two slices of pizza and a soda. Sounds average, but the amount of calories is not average. This meal is approximately 900 calories with more than 25 grams of fat. That can add up over four years of school.
The weight gained during freshman year is commonly known as the “Freshman 15″. But according to Kid’s Health, it is actually only about 3 to 10 pounds for the first two years.
Although some of the weight gain is attributed to metabolism and growth, the two main causes for freshmen weight gain are lack of exercise and poor nutrition.
A New York Times article defines college as “unlimited access to all-you-can-eat buffet-style dining halls with prepaid meal cards, late-night partying or studying fueled by high-fat snacks, and gossip sessions with roommates served up with a side of ice cream.”
Most students choose high-in-fat or sugary snacks, but these types of snacks are not filling nor do they provide the proper nutrients.
“I gained some of the Freshmen 15 because I ate lots of dining hall food and never worked it off,” said Josh Dunn, a senior exercise science major.
Dunn said to fill up on fruits and vegetables before indulging in burgers and fries. Many students don’t realize how important it is to make healthy food choices.
“When I was in school, I ate a buttery, oily grilled cheese and fries almost every day” said Meredith Taylor, a senior nursing student at Medical College of Georgia.
Sodexo, also referred to as Saga by upperclassmen, offers some healthy options. At each of the deli, specialty and grill lines, there are pre-portioned meals that have 300 to 350 calories.
“I see about 30 to 40 students take advantage of the pre-portioned meals. We have more diabetics inquire about the program because they need to be careful with what they eat,” said Steven Derrick, the Sodexo area general manager.
The pre-portioned meals contain 50 percent fruits and vegetable, 25 percent grain and 25 percent protein. Proper nutrition is the first step for a student looking to maintain a healthy weight. But what about exercise?
Exercise is easy to incorporate, especially on a college campus. Walking instead of driving to class can make a huge difference. One round trip between Parkhurst and the Arts & Science building is over a mile.
“Every step counts,” said Amy Whatley, assistant director of wellness programs at The Depot.
The Depot is a full exercise facility for students, not to mention membership is already paid for by student fees. It is equipped with free weights, cardiovascular and strength training equipment.
Exercise science majors offer personal training based on an application process.
“It makes you feel really good about yourself when you see your client succeed because of the work you do together,” said exercise science graduate, Alycia Hayes.
Classes at the Centennial Center are another exercise resource. Some of the most popular classes, among students, are abs and zumba.
“I love teaching zumba. It is a fast paced, Latin style aerobics class,” Hayes said.
However, the weight gain is not soley based on nutrition and exercise. Other factors contribute to the extra weight such as a high level of stress and consuming large amounts of alcohol.
“Not only can excess drinking lead to health problems,” according to Kid’s Health, “but beer and alcohol are high in calories and can cause weight gain.”
Although the stress of school and other activities is time consuming, it is important to make nutrition and exercise a priority.
“It’s all about being active. You can honestly eat whatever you want if you are active enough,” Dunn said.
It is time for students to take charge and change the weight gain trends one grilled cheese at a time.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 11 2009. Filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
