Freshman 15

Before coming into college I always heard horror stories about people gaining tons of weight once they went to college this is known as the "Freshman 15." So naturally I was really worried about gaining weight in college and I told myself it would never happen to me. Now that I am in college I can really see why a lot of people gain weight. It's not just lack of exercise but it's also all the different kinds of food available to you. For starters the dining halls which is where most people eat at least once or twice a day. There are all different kinds of foods ranging from pizza to Chinese to ice cream cones as well as many other delicious fattening foods. These foods taste great but they can also add a couple inches to the waist line. http://www.housing.purdue.edu/NetNutrition/Form2.aspx?topicID=MealDetail&process=MealDetail&unit=828&menu=264375&category=&procID=10&update=true&parent=793 From going to this website I was able to see nutrition information for the food at Ford dining hall and the other dining halls as well. I figured out that if you eat a Cheeseburger and fries your meal can total up to 791 calories! This is close to half of the suggested caloric intake per day, needless to say most people eat way more then just a cheeseburger and fries. I have seen some people with two or three plates piled with food.



Dining courts aren't the only thing contributing to the Freshman 15, it is also snacking in your room and ordering pizza late at night (lets face it we have all done it). It's so easy to just give into the temptation of snacks when most dorm rooms are filled with them. Some of the common favorites would be easy mac, chips, pop tarts, granola bars, pop, candy, pizza rolls, pretzels and many more. Sometimes you won't even notice it and you will just grab a snack or two while your studying.As for the pizza I feel like someone is always ordering pizza late at night and the temptation is overwhelming.



Eating isn't the only part of gaining weight it is also lack of exercise. College students today are so busy with classes, exams, clubs, intramurals etc. That there is hardly any time for exercise. And when you do get a free hour or two the co rec is usually jam packed with people and a lot of the machines are taken and you have to wait to use them. Although the freshman 15 happens to a lot of people it's not all of use. As long as you try to eat moderately healthy, try not to snack to much, and try to exercise two or three times a week you will have better chances of staying fit.