Freshman 15 Help students eat a healthy diet for good grades
T
he “freshman 15,” a common phrase used to eating habits. College campuses offer unlimited choices describe the weight gain of many college freshof fast food, chips, soft drinks, calorie-loaded bevermen during their first year, can be a real thing. ages, desserts and pizza at 3 a.m., as well as very limited That’s not to say that everyone gains exactly 15 pounds. cooking facilities. Actually, some students may gain more or less or not Second, eating while studying late at night develops gain any weight at all. The reality is that the freshman bad habits of snacking on junk food. Most students 15 is common enough to have earned this don’t study during class but find themselves nickname. As the eating and exercise habits staying up late to study or party, and that’s affect academic success, it is important to when hunger pains appear. Late-night cravknow what brings on the freshman 15 and ings could lead to overeating and binge eathow junk food consumption and unhealthy ing, which contribute to weight gain. eating relate to grades. Eating snack foods is very convenient Since there is more focus placed on any time of the day. It is easy to get into grade point average and academic perfora routine of regular snacking, consuming mance in college, it is important to explore burgers, fries, chips and soft drinks. how lifestyle habits, especially eating Emotional eating is a fourth common HEALTHY LIVING reason for weight gain among freshmen behaviors, can influence a student’s acaBY JULIE HUDSON demic success. As students enter college, facing the challenge of new environments their health-related habits often change as and routines, difficult classes, new relationthey adjust to the new environments and lack of parenships and perhaps homesickness. tal guidance. It is well known that university students Fifth, it is true that many college students drink alcoare far from reaching the public, national and global hol and so do the freshmen. Alcohol is very high in health recommendations when it comes to dietary habcalories and contributes substantially to weight gain. its. Research on this topic has made it clear that dietary Finally, lack of exercise also could lead to weight patterns and proper nutrition should be a priority for stu- gain. Walking from class to class might feel like a dents. Unfortunately, studies have shown that negative workout, but the reality is that it’s not enough. For most behaviors tend to worsen as students progress through freshmen, the demands of college life are challenging, college. and exercise falls low on the priority list. There are several factors that contribute to weight But regular workouts are a great way to relieve stress gain in the first year of college. First is establishing new and could help fight off the infamous 15. 62 LAKE
AUGUST 2022
