The truth behind the freshman 15

 

By Taylor Busch

CP Editor

 

College and university students across the country are fighting an uphill battle to lose weight and are gaining bad habits in the process.

Rumors of the freshman 15 have been circling campuses since the late 1980s, but are truer today than ever before.  Some doctors have tried to disprove the label in recent years, but failed because almost all students gain some weight while in school.  Dr. Connie Diekman summed it up perfectly in a recent interview with WebMD when she said, “Most freshmen do not gain the dreaded 15 pounds.  It is more of an average.”

Doctors are concerned about the unhealthy habits students form while in school because they have a high chance of carrying those behaviours into adulthood.  If a post-secondary student gains just a few pounds every year they are in school, and then continues putting on the same amount of weight after they graduate, it will not take long before they become obese.

Alex White, 21, is a two time freshman at St. Clair College who has battled with her weight for years.  She says her worst habit is snacking at night which she does frequently.

“I feel like it’s kind of a stupid myth but at the same time I know tons of people who are already stressing out over classes and tests,” said White.  “I want to manage my weight better this year but I know it will be hard.”

Obesity currently affects one in four Canadians.  According to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, approximately 17.4 per cent of teenagers and 56.7 per cent of adults living in our area consider themselves to be obese.

Elizabeth Strachan is a public health nutritionist with the Health Unit.  She believes poor eating habits are a big contributor to weight gain that can have long-lasting effects on a person.  The Health Unit currently offers a number of programs to teach healthy eating habits to children and adults.

“A lot of the habits that students are setting up when they first go to university or college can set them up for future weight gain,” said Strachan.

Experts say the other cause of the freshman 15 is a lack of activity among students.  Though they are required to spend many hours in class or near a computer, students can still get the daily exercise they need without breaking too much of a sweat.

Sandra Ondracka has been the co-ordinator of campus recreation for the University of Windsor for more than 20 years.  She said her team has always tried to make working out educational and fun so students will continue doing it after they graduate.

“We encourage students to participate in whatever way, shape or form they can,” said Ondracka.  “It’s not just about sweating and the burn, or going until it hurts.  It’s about active living.”

The University of Windsor and St. Clair College currently offer a variety of activities to students and non-students who are looking to get in shape.  There are no shortcuts to losing weight and undoing bad habits is never easy, but it’s never too late to start.