Any incoming freshman has heard of the horror that is the “Freshman 15.” Your first year is already stressful, especially with the looming threat of an extra 15 pounds. Whether it be from too many sweets at the dining hall or all those late night study snacks, the notorious reputation of the Freshman 15 makes it seem as though weight gain is inevitable.
I’m here to say that you should stop worrying. The Freshman 15 is a myth. That is not to say you won’t gain a little weight, but if you do it probably won’t be an extra 15 pounds. It’s been suggested by various studies that the actual average weight gain of a college freshman is somewhere between three and seven pounds. That isn’t unusual given that most freshmen are still growing and developing, so weight gain is to be expected.
Along with the expected weight gain that comes with growth, the transfer from high school to college brings a whole new structure. College brings a new schedule that’s very different from the rigidity of the one you may have had in high school. Your freshman year is a transition period to your new life in college. With that transition what you eat, when you eat, your activity level, the amount of sleep you get, and your stress levels are going to be all over the place. Those are also all factors which affect weight gain, so as those fluctuate there’s a good chance your weight will too.
Personally, I’ve lost weight since coming to college while my roommate swears she’s put on weight despite it not being apparent to anyone but her. The process of weight gain and loss is very much specific to each person. The assumption that a single experience can be applied to all college freshmen is just plain unrealistic.
The invasiveness of the idea of the Freshman 15 is real. From my roommate talking about how much weight she feels she‘s put on, to my friends only eating food they find gross for dinner under the guise that it’s healthy and therefore the right choice, the idea is deeply embedded into the brains of college freshmen. The threat of gaining weight seems to do more harm than actual weight gain does. It takes a toll on one’s self-image and eating habits, and it creates unnecessary stress.
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Your freshman year of college is a period of time you shouldn’t be worrying about your weight. It should be a time when you are getting adjusted, coming to understand yourself, building relationships with those around you, doing what interests you and focusing on school. We need to move past this culture that is so hyper-focused on weight and toward a culture of caring more effectively for ourselves and our bodies.