(Marissa Ingle / Western Herald) Western Michigan students Rachel Weidman (left), and Laura Zalewski (right) enjoy a WMU walking class.
“The Freshman 15” – the theory that freshmen gain 15 pounds during their first year of college – is prominent among first-year college students. Is it just a rumor, or is there truth to the myth?
Karli Silverman, a freshman majoring in political science, believes that the Freshman 15 can be true for many first-year students.
“I think a lot of people get to college, they have the unlimited [meal plan], and all of the really good food in the cafeteria,” Silverman said.
“There are a lot of people that are prone to gaining that weight because they’re living a totally new lifestyle. They’re less active. People get stressed out.”
Even though there are healthy choices available to students, Silverman said that making the effort to commit to a healthy lifestyle could prove difficult to busy freshmen.
“Sitting next to that salad is the ice cream and the brownies and the cake,” Silverman said.
Nick Benitez, a film studies major, also sees the Freshman 15 as being true.
“Fries are served every day, so you’re going to want to eat them,” he said.
“At home, you might not eat as much because food isn’t always so abundant.”
Benitez learned about living healthly during his first year. As a sophomore, he now sees himself as being more knowledgeable on eating properly than he was before.
“[As a sophomore] you’re more aware of overeating, how you can overeat so easy,” Benitez said.
Despite widespread belief on campus from students, Judy Gipper, director of WMU Dining Services and a registered dietician, believes that the Freshman 15 is just a catchphrase.
“The average freshman does not gain 15 pounds,” she said.
According to a 2006 study from the University of Guelph, female freshmen gain an average of five pounds in their first year.
However, Gipper agreed that some freshmen do tend to gain weight during their first year at college.
“A freshman is not used to having such a selection [of food] in front of them,” Gipper said.
“They don’t right away start to realize ‘I have to make choices that are good for me.’”
Gipper said that the Dining Halls provide many healthy options for food, including extensive salad bars, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain cereals, breads, pastas, roasted and grilled meats, homemade soups, and some sugar free desert items.
Gipper also advised that students decide what they will eat before they visit the Dining Halls.
“Think ahead – think about what you’re going to eat before you eat it.”
Students may view the menu for each of the dining halls online at Dining Services’ Web site. Dining Services also posts the nutritional information of meals in both the dining halls and online. This information includes the calories and fat per serving of the meals.
Gipper stressed that proper food choices is only part of a student’s health and that regular exercise is also important in staying healthy. She also stated that students shouldn’t automatically think of the Dining Halls when they hear of the Freshman 15.
(Marissa Ingle / Western Herald) Western Michigan University junior Maureen Schmenk uses the rowing machine in WMU’s Recreational Center.
“[Students] could utilize the Rec Center,” Gipper said. “They could walk to class.”
The Student Recreation Center, WMU’s on-campus fitness facility, provides many options for students striving to stay healthy. The SRC includes a weight room, multiple basketball courts, a climbing wall, indoor tennis courts, and a pool.
The SRC also offers fitness programs such as aerobic and aquatic classes and personal training. Information on pricing of the fitness programs is available on the SRC’s Web site.
Gipper said that students should focus on keeping good habits and avoiding those that may negatively affect their health. These habits include eating right, exercising, and getting the right amount of sleep.
Although Gipper does not believe the Freshman 15 is true, she sees the idea actually helping students.
“The concept of the Freshman 15 serves a good purpose in that it makes people stop and say ‘wait a minute here, I don’t want to gain 15 pounds,” Gipper said.
More information on making healthy food choices, including dietary guidelines and facts about nutrition, is available on Dining Services’ Web site, wmich.edu/dining.
