Every Year College Kids Gain Weight

Being overweight, eating poorly, and not exercising are becoming an epidemic in America, especially among college students. Most of the research on it states the same things, however the first research article I found speaks more to the behavior and its current affects on college students’ health. A slew of doctors and Jesse S. Morrell wrote an article about “Risk Factors Among College Men and Women” in relationship to obesity. The opening of this article stated that “an estimated 300,000 deaths each year are attributable to obesity… and young adults have experienced dramatic increases in obesity rates,” (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). This statistic is what really got the research going and helped the researchers focus specifically on college-aged individuals. Upon diving into their research, the authors found more alarming statistics and related diseases. This included a recognizable relationship between obesity in young people and chronic disease risk, especially diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). In fact, CVD was the second leading cause of death in the US in that college-age group showing that our generation is at a greater risk for health problems than ever before due to our lack of exercise and healthy diets. Researchers then took to college campuses to examine students and their habits and provide risk assessments to promote healthier lifestyles and hopefully decrease the probability of CVD and DM through the metabolic syndrome system,

De Vos, P., Hanck, C., Neisingh, M., Prak, D., Groen, H., & Faas, M. M. (2015). Weight gain in freshman college students and perceived health. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2, 229–234.

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

My article was about the dreaded freshman 15 and how it’s common for freshman students to gain weight during their first year. The article talks about if students actually gain 15 pounds just in their first year alone. Some studies have said that this is false, and the average weight gain is closer to around 7 and ½ pounds. While this isn’t so bad, the article goes on to show where all those calories will be coming from, and give tips as to how to avoid weight gain. The article mentions how to pick healthy food in the dining hall, and how to eat less while there. It advises also getting into habits of going to the gym and staying active alongside eating healthy. Lastly, it talks about snacking in between meals and drinking calories. The author

Having bad eating habits can cause vastly eating disorders and illnesses. Students attending college that do not eat right are most likely to conceive an illness or become overweight. “An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for becoming overweight and obese,” (McNight). Freshman 15 is most likely to get to the students that have This is something to think about when it comes to meal plans. The majority of the meal plans offered at any college are high in fats and calories. By consuming all of these foods you are more likely to having this problem.

I will teach you to be Rich is a guide by Ramit Sethi. It begins by asking “Why do so many people get fat after college? At first glance, this seems to have nothing with finances, but Sethi ties it together with a uniquely down-to-earth humorous approach to finances. Ramit Sethi insists that his approach in I will teach you to be rich can work for anyone and everyone.

College is a new stage in life with a new environment and maybe a different lifestyle. This makes it a prime opportunity to take control of a healthy lifestyle. Who would want to have the dreaded Freshman 15 (or even more)?

P., Ilich, J. Z., Dutton, G. R., Panton, L. B., & Abood, D. A. (2009). The freshman weight gain phenomenon revisited. Nutrition Reviews, 67(2), 83-94. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00143.x

Being “concerned with weight and shape is extremely common during those adolescence years. In addition to being exposed to the very real health risks of obesity and poor nutrition, teenagers are being exposed to the unrealistically thin beauty ideal that is portrayed in the media “ (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2004). Many adolescents feel the need to diet to be able to fit the requirements of what a teenager need to look like, the long limbs, skinny body, these are unrealistic impression that have been created throughout time. Many of the FAD dieting programs draw in teenagers due to the quick results that are produced during the short time. However, the weight loss is usually water weight, which puts your body into dehydration. During the adolescence period, dieting carries many risk involves in the practice. Risks involved include, “physiological effects, electrolyte disturbances, cardiac dysrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death can result from unhealthy or extreme dieting practices” (Turpin, Daee, Robinson, Lawson, Gregory, & Tobias, 2002). But not participating in certified weight loss progress, major health problem can occur. Before commencing weight loss programs it would be recommended that doctors or dieticians be spoken to, confirming goals and weight loss that are suitable for each

Some adolescents have problems with eating. Several teenagers eat a lot (binge eating), and many of them do not eat enough, which leads to anorexia (Rathus, 2016). Anorexia is an eating disorder that causes the body to experience effects similar to malnutrition and can ultimately lead to death. This eating disorder starves the body of from the things it need to regulate and operated of maximum capacity (Rathus, 2016). Eating disorders has led to schools to have adolescent nutritional

The first would be to make diet and exercise changes. More vegetables, lean meats, and fruits and grains in moderation with at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is important to decrease weight (AAFP, 2009). Also, while in college it's important to get plenty of sleep, walk or participate in any form of exercise in between study breaks, and manage stress to help decrease weight gain and promote a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, Metformin may also be considered in conjunction with diet and exercise

Studying at a university is typically associated with students having a greater autonomy over their choices in diet (namely, food preparation and purchasing) and increased sedentary time due to studies. As a result, students face a greater risk of considerable weight gain. Indeed, research studies have found that significant weight gain takes place during university. In addition to decrease in physical activity, students are exposed to consuming commercially prepared food and take-away meals. These factors lead to an increasing number of overweight young adults. Statistically, in the U.S., the age range of biggest increase in obesity is amongst young adults, aged 18-29 years of age (Plotnikoff et al. 45).

Not only is the “Freshman 15” unhealthy, but this label can cause a person to lose confidence in herself due to her new image. Gaining these extra pounds can cause peers to tease and bully students, causing them to lose focus in school. With healthier choices in the dining halls, it will be easier for students to avoid this stereotype and feel better about themselves. College students will continue to maintain a healthy weight and keep their self esteem.

One easy fix for this weight gain is to have healthy food at on campus eating facilities. Not just healthy options like many schools have already but healthy food as the norm. Instead of having three Starbucks, a pizza place and two burger chains, colleges should have restaurants that serve healthy foods like a quinoa salad, fresh fruit and hummus. In college, everyone just wants to fit in so by having healthy food being considered normal the peer pressure would be to have a salad instead of a pizza slice.

College age students face different problems than the teens in high school. When students live in dormitories at a university or college, they eat on a meal plan. They usually do not have money of their own to spend on food at restaurants so the cafeteria regulates what food they eat. The cafeterias serve a lot of foods such as hamburgers or other meats with sauces and a lot of potatoes. These foods are very high in starch and cause of weight gain.