Ways new students can elude Freshman 15

Despite its notoriety, the source of this freshman phenomenon is a bit mysterious.
When a student moves from high school to college, they are required to walk much more between classes. What could cause such a large amount of weight gain when the new students are actually exercising more on campus than they do at home?

Kim Barrett, the director of the wellness initiative on campus this year, has a few ideas.

"Students may take more steps between classes; however, that does not necessarily translate to more activity," Barrett said. "Many students played high school sports. This type of activity is not necessarily kept up once they reach college."

Food can also play a role, Barrett said.

"Portion control is a big factor in weight gain and many times it is not what you eat, rather, how much you eat," she said.

Some choices offered in the cafeteria are quite healthy; still, many new students seem to notice the unending supply of ice cream rather than the low-fat baked fish offered at dinner time.

Also, as freshmen move out from under the scrutiny of their parents, the freedom can be a bit overwhelming, causing some to go overboard with alcohol consumption.

"People often count the calories they eat, but not the calories they drink. Also, many times after drinking, people eat. The foods available at night are generally your easy-access foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients," Barrett said about the effects of drinking.

Karen Miller, a registered dietician with the University Health Center who works with students on a daily basis, agreed.

"It is important to avoid empty calories in the form of beverages whether it's alcohol, energy drinks, sports drinks, et cetera," Miller said. "Our body doesn't recognize beverage calories the same way we recognize food calories, so you could have a 500-calorie coffee drink and still be hungry."

Many students also experience loneliness and depression upon arriving on campus, and those types of feelings certainly contribute to overeating.

"For some, (the weight gain) is emotional- or stress-eating and not eating in a physiological way – eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied," Miller said.

In order to help students keep weight off, UNL offers several opportunities.

There is a nine-week overall wellness program hosted by Campus Recreation that costs $12 and is open to all students. An informational session on the program will take place Wednesday, September 23 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Also, for those suffering from body image or weight issues, the Health Center offers counseling services. They can be reached at 402-472-7450.

Generally, to help keep off those extra pounds, students should focus on getting two to three hours of physical activity a week.

As far as the delicious chocolate-chip cookies in care packages from home, Barrett said it's okay to enjoy them.

"In any case, there are no ‘bad' foods – we just need to remember to eat these in moderation."

KAYAHGAUSMAN@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM