The term "Freshman 15" is an expression commonly used in the United States and Canada to refer to weight gain during a student's first year in college. Although the 15 refers to a 15 lb. (6.8 kg) weight gain, the expression can apply to weight gain in general. In Australia and New Zealand, it is sometimes referred to as "First Year Fatties",[1] "Fresher Spread",[2] or "Fresher Five",[3] [4] the latter referring to a gain of .
Causes of this weight gain may be linked to increased alcohol intake, consumption of fat and carbohydrate-rich foods, malnutrition, stress, and decreased levels of exercise.
Research into the subject has shown that on average, a college student gains from 2-3 lb. (1-1.5 kg) of weight during their first year.
Despite common use of the term, a study from the Ohio State University found that the average female college student gains two pounds and the average male college student gains three pounds (1 and 1.5 kg, respectively) in their first year. Additionally, the research showed that the gain was a half pound (around 200 grams) more than non-college students of the same age and that heavy drinking was the main factor for such weight increase.[5]
Another study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health) found that on average, college freshmen gained 2.7 pounds. Additionally, half of the students surveyed gained weight, and 15% of the students lost weight.[6]
A study conducted on 60 students at Cornell University showed that 20% of the weight gained by the students was likely caused by the dining halls' environment.[7]
The body has a certain number of calories that it needs to consume in order to maintain its weight. This is determined through height, weight, age, and several other factors that differ from person to person. When a person takes in more or fewer calories than that set limit, weight is either gained or lost. Alcohol's calories content tend to lead to unwanted extra calories.[8]
| Alcoholic drink | Calories | |
|---|---|---|
| Beer, lite, 12 oz. | 100 | |
| Beer, regular, 12 oz. | 150 | |
| Frozen daiquiri, 4 oz. | 216 | |
| Gin, 1.5 oz. | 110 | |
| Mai tai, 4 oz. | 310 | |
| Margarita, 4 oz. | 270 | |
| Rum, 1.5 oz. | 96 | |
| Vodka, 1.5 oz. | 96 | |
| Whiskey, 1.5 oz. | 105 | |
| Wine spritzer, 4 oz. | 49 | |
| Wine, dessert, sweet, 4 oz. | 180 |
When drinking alcohol on a regular basis, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can follow. Examples of these deficiencies are as follows:
These deficiencies can lead to weight issues caused by malnutrition. Often, this is how certain cravings arise.[8]
About 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing classes, falling behind, doing poorly on exams, and overall receiving lower grade.[9] Students who are involved in fraternities and sororities in college tend to have the highest alcohol consumption rates.
Researchers have found that those who consumed drinks of higher alcohol strength, ate significantly more than the others and also ate more fatty and salty foods. They also found that urges to snack were much higher among drinkers.[10]
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's research, people who tend to drink the largest amount of alcohol have the poorest eating habits compared to those who do not consume much alcohol. In this study, researchers compared the 'healthy eating' scores of 3,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with their overall consumption of alcohol. They used frequency, quantity, and average daily volume to measure the alcohol consumption.
The researchers found that as the alcohol quantity increased, the Health Index scores declined. Diet quality was the poorest among those who consumed the largest quantity of alcohol. Care packages filled with unhealthy treats, usually sent by parents, are found to be the leading cause of weight gain. Those who drank less alcohol in an infrequent time frame had the best health index scores overall.[11]
A study done by Jatturong R. Wichianson and colleagues at the University of Southern California showed a direct relationship between eating late at night (night eating syndrome) and stress levels among college students. They used a standardized test to measure both the levels of NES and perceived stress each student had. The results showed that students who had higher levels of stress were more likely to have NES due to their inability to adapt.[12]
Nicole L. Mihalopoulos and colleagues developed a study at a private university in the northeastern United States. Test subjects were made up of male and female freshmen college students who lived on campus. They took an online survey to answer questions about their eating patterns, social behaviors, and weight. The purpose of this was to discover if the individuals showed signs of body image issues or eating disorders.
125 freshmen were eligible for testing and the average age was 18.4. The results showed that about half of the test subjects gained weight. The men gained an average of, and the women gained an average of in their freshmen year. These results disproved their hypothesis that the women would have a larger weight gain than the men, but this stays consistent with other studies done on the hypothesis. Even though only 5% of the test subjects showed a weight gain of or greater, the authors of this study concluded that the freshmen year in college has potential for weight gain and can even lead to obesity later in life.[13]