Diet culture likes to perpetuate the myth that women will inevitably gain weight in their first year of college. And yet, numerous studies have shown that a weight gain of more than a few pounds in one’s freshman year is relatively uncommon. Even if the whole “freshman 15” concept isn’t complete BS, the notion that gaining weight is something to fear most definitely is.
In the following five points, I hope to demonstrate why the “freshman 15” myth is not only untrue but also extremely harmful.
1. Studies disprove the “freshman 15.”
Despite how pervasive the myth is even today, studies over the past few decades have consistently disproven the dreaded “freshman 15.” One, from 2004, found that although there was some weight-fluctuation in the population of female students studied, “changes in body weight, body composition, and fat mass were modest for women during their freshman year of college.”
Luke Broadwater of the Baltimore Sun highlights “a new study that assessed 144 freshmen women at the University of Michigan found that such weight gains were hardly the norm. Those who participated in the study on average gained between half a pound and 2.5 pounds.” This is a far cry from the 15 pounds the phrase implies.
In addition, as Aaron P. Crombie writes, a corroboration of studies on the validity of the “freshman 15” phenomenon unearthed the fact that “most studies were not comprehensive in assessing numerous potential causative factors for weight gain.” Although certain studies found a weight gain of 0.7-3.1 kg, it was unclear what behaviors or patterns led to these fluctuations. As described in the article, “there may be specific groups of students with a greater predisposition for weight gain and future research should focus on identifying those groups.” In other words, it is nearly impossible to predict the weight gain patterns of individuals because so many factors play contributing roles.
Overall, although students can (and may) gain weight in their first year of university, “research shows that most students will only gain between 2.5 and 3.7 pounds, not 15,” which happens to be the same average weight gain of 18- to 23-year-olds nationwide, regardless of whether or not they are attending college. My point is this: bodies change, and that’s OK. This brings me to my next thought.
2. Bodies naturally fluctuate, especially as you get older.
If you’re in university, odds are you’re not a pre-pubescent kid anymore, so why do you expect your body to still look like it did when you were?
You might think that being post-high school means you’re officially fully developed, but actually your body is still changing. Many women talk about a sort of “second puberty” that can come in their 20s or even 30s, and some of the weight gain in college may be a part of this. It is a simple fact of nature that our bodies change as we grow; whether or not we are in our “second puberty”, all bodies naturally fluctuate. These fluctuations may be due to ongoing growth, altered hormone stages, or any number of other factors. (Fun Fact: the average body can fluctuate in weight up to six pounds throughout the course of the day.)
New stressors, a changed routine, different types of meals or mealtimes, and social events can all play a role in weight gain (or loss) in college. As we go off to college for the first time (or the first time in a while), many of us are just beginning to learn how to properly nourish ourselves on our own. We decide what foods to keep in the fridge, or when we have dinner. This change, alone, can impact our weight.
Registered dietician and nutritionist Devrie Pettit, speaking with Ana Luiz Ramos of Salt Lake City’s The Globe, says, “it is normal for the human body to experience weight change. College students are also at the age of ending teenage years and becoming an adult. Weight gain is normal.”
3. “Freshman 15” demonizes weight gain, thus promoting unhealthy eating and diet culture.
As Refinery 29 puts it, “when people are taught that their body can’t visibly change when they go away to school, it instills a lot of fear around weight gain and food choices.” In turn, people may resort to excessively exercising or restricting their intake — a perfect breeding ground for eating disorders.
Many students actually lose weight in college for the very same reasons others may gain it: stress, a new environment, and changes to routine don’t discriminate when it comes to which way the scale fluctuates. The fear-mongering “freshman 15” only encourages this weight loss, which can quickly become unhealthy. When students turn to restriction to curb anticipated weight gain, or exercise obsessively to “beat” the “freshman 15”, eating disorders may ensue. Even if one is not diagnosed with an eating disorder, patterns and behaviors that develop as a result of attempts to avoid weight gain in college can be extremely harmful.
According to a 2018 piece by Michael Cripe in Northwest Missouri News, “in the past couple of years there have been more studies not only disproving the existence of the ‘Freshman 15’, but these studies have shown a trend in increasing eating disorders in college students.”
Center for Discovery, a blog focused on providing help to young adults with histories of eating disorders, found that “the stigma, and consequently the danger, surrounding the term “Freshman 15” can lead to the development or triggering of an eating disorder before a student even steps foot on campus… Obsessing over not gaining the “Freshman 15” can inevitably result in anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia (a condition where a person obsesses over healthy dieting) or a selective eating disorder.”
4. Diet culture profits from “freshman 15” fear.
Numerous industries use fear of the “freshman 15” to promote diet pills, workout programs, and detox teas to those who are already extremely vulnerable to the societal pressures to be thin. Social media greatly impacts how our generation, in particular, views our bodies, and dieting ads on many apps are often targeted at young women. Diet culture preys on us, selling ‘fit teas’ and weight loss plans to make us even more insecure about ourselves. By fearing the “freshman 15” myth, we become susceptible to the diet industry’s malicious tactics.
5. Weight isn’t an indicator of health or well-being.
Regardless of whether or not someone does gain weight in their first year of college (or at literally any other time in their life), weight does not equate with health. Although diet culture has us believe that a number on the scale is the almighty indicator of our health, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
BMIs have been shown, time after time, to be terrible at assessing one’s health, and weight never tells the whole story: how the weight is distributed, what one’s body type is, one’s medical history or conditions, and even the time of day can impact how much someone weighs.
In many situations, weight gain can actually be very healthy and positive. Particularly in college, moderate weight gain may merely indicate more time spent having meals with friends, or simply signal normal development.
The “freshman 15” was coined in 1989 in Seventeen magazine and has likely only stuck due to its catchy alliteration. There is little to no evidence to corroborate significant weight gain in the first year of college, let alone 15 pounds. It seems that the only purpose that the “freshman 15” myth serves is to cultivate fear in college students, specifically first years, and promote unhealthy eating patterns, which may even develop into eating disorders. The “freshman 15” phenomenon demonizes weight gain, which is merely a healthy part of development and allows certain pharmaceutical companies or dieting industries to profit off of such fear. In conclusion, screw diet culture.