Newswise — The "Freshman 15" "" the supposedly unavoidable 15 pounds that students gain during their first year of college "" is not a myth. It has been shown that students tend to gain weight, but exactly how many students gain how many pounds is under dispute. What causes this to affect students from different places and with so many different backgrounds at the same point in their lives?
"The weight gain generally occurs because it's the first time that students have had to make all of their food decisions on their own," says Virginia Tech administrative dietician Jenny Lindsey. "With their newfound freedom, confronted with a multitude of appealing items, they find it difficult to practice moderation."
Changes in behavior can also affect weight, with alcohol consumption playing a major role, as well as stress, which many people deal with by eating. In addition, the majority of students are not as active as they were in high school "" high school athletes no longer involved in sports are burning fewer calories than before.
While it's true that students might adopt a different lifestyle when arriving at college, it is still possible to make healthy choices, says Lindsey. They should look for a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, a variety of low-fat choices, whole grains, and low-fat dairy items. Students should try not to allow themselves to become overwhelmed by all of the food choices on campus and should make sure that meals are varied and contain different items from previous meals.
Learning proper portion sizes and eating in moderation are two of the most important steps to weight management. Students' eyes are often bigger than their stomachs after a long day of class. They should take a few things at a time and if they are still hungry afterward, then they should go back for seconds.
When making food choices, students should always keep the food pyramid in mind. They should ask themselves, "How close have I come to eating the correct portions from each area? Is one much higher or lower than it should be?" A midnight snack is OK, but students shouldn't overindulge""instead of a slice of sausage and pepperoni pizza, they should choose plain cheese to avoid the high fat toppings.
Healthy snacks such as pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, granola bars, and raisins can be kept on hand for energy. Last but not least, students should go to class! The exercise that they get from getting out of their room or apartment, walking across campus and back will be well worth the effort""not to mention that grades will improve. Exercise keeps stress levels down, promotes better sleep, and improves health.
Virginia Tech's Housing and Dining Services strives to educate and encourage students to live healthy. The You're Eating Smarter (Y.E.S.) nutrition education program was developed in 1996 to give students the nutritional information they need to make the best food choices, and includes personal counseling, residence hall programs, and other educational opportunities. The program also gives students an opportunity to ask questions and discuss nutritional needs directly with Lindsey, the Student Programs registered dietitian.
Valuable tools and information can be found on the Y.E.S. website, including an interactive nutrition analysis program that allows visitors to view daily menus and find nutritional information for individual menu items. The site provides links to other websites that offer reliable information on nutrition and health, including topics such as exercise, food allergies, eating disorders, and special dietary needs.
For more information about healthy eating on campus, visit the Y.E.S. website at http://www.studentprograms.vt.edu/yes/.
Jenny Lindsey has worked as a registered dietitian for 22 years, 21 of those years at Virginia Tech, where she conceived and developed the Y.E.S. program.
Virginia Tech Student Programs also offers information from experts on other back to school topics including:
Topic: Helicopter ParentsContact Name: Dr. Edward SpencerEdward Spencer has worked as a professional in Student Affairs for 36 years and has first-hand experience managing relationships between parents and universities in areas including residence life, housing, dining services, judicial affairs, fraternity and sorority life, orientation, town/gown community relations, and crisis management.
Topic: Campus Dining TrendsContact Name: Rick JohnsonRick Johnson manages Virginia Tech's award-winning self-operated dining program, which was recently ranked second in the nation by The Princeton Review.
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