The Freshman 15 - Losing and Gaining
By Kate, age 18, New Hampshire
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
The Freshman 15: (definition by Kate) When freshmen in college gain (or lose, in my opinion) 15 pounds (15 being an example number).
Why this happens: Students, now being free and on their own, will stock up on food to stash in their dorms. Maybe Pop Tarts for the mornings when you miss breakfast and bags of chips and such for the late nights when your stomach starts to growl.
With this sudden amount of food, students tend to eat more than usual, and not necessarily healthy foods. This will, of course, cause students to gain unhealthy weight.
But not all students are like this. Some eat when they're stressed or bored, while others don't eat when they're stressed. Too many hours spent on homework for some can cause a lack of eating which is also a bad habit. Not eating causes students to lose weight in an unhealthy way.
The Freshman 15 is not something you want to happen to you. The cafeteria will always serve a variety of food choices for you - choose wisely. Remember that whole adult thing - you still have responsibilities, especially to yourself. Don't put yourself through that; there are more important things to worry about!
