College and the Freshman 15
With fall semester around the corner, students are gearing up for papers, exams, and all-nighters. For those in their first year of college, there can be a healthy amount of nerves and excitement coming into play as they wonder about their transition into a new academic and social world. College often marks one’s first endeavors as a more independent individual, and food choices are a part of that.
Unfortunately, our society has created a term called the “freshman fifteen” that can elicit fear, dread, or hypervigilance in young students. A quick google search of “freshman fifteen” shows countless articles with headlines such as “How to Avoid the Dreaded Freshman Fifteen” and “Is It Real? Causes and Prevention Tips.” While I want to believe that the authors behind these articles have the best on intentions, this blog serves to state that they promote unnecessary fear in students who have enough change to deal with.
So what is the freshman fifteen and why is this rhetoric unhelpful at best and harmful at worst? The freshman fifteen refers to weight gain that college students may experience in their first year of school. While I won’t go into the details of how this might happen (I’m not a doctor or dietitian and every body is different), I will point out that in today’s society, any time there is potential for weight gain, alarm bells go off. We have been conditioned to think fat is bad and weight gain unequivocally unhealthy. However, the link between weight and health is not as strong as you may believe. Aubrey Gordon has written two well-researched books on this topic, demonstrating how anti-fat bias and weight stigma cause more harm than weight gain could. Find that hard to believe? I highly encourage you to read these books—you won’t be disappointed!
The fear mongering that comes with “the dreaded freshman fifteen” has the potential to create a hyper-focus on food choices and nutrition, which can lead to feeling disconnected from our bodies and our natural hunger/fullness cues*, disordered eating, or full-blown eating disorders. The prevalence of eating disorders in the college-age population is high, so this focus on weight gain can add fuel to the fire.
Our bodies are meant to change throughout life, and college is a time to be experienced to the fullest. So what if you’re reading this and still worried about gaining weight? Here are five strategies to help you live your college life to the fullest:
1. Ditch the scale! Again, there are so many factors that play into health, like physical activity, access to healthcare and food, and stigma or oppression. If you are concerned for your health, speak with a doctor or a dietitian who practices from an intuitive eating lens. Otherwise, there is no need for it to take up precious space in your teeny dorm bathroom.
2. Build your social connection. Having a good support system will build positive experiences while adding value and protective factors to your life. Whether it’s a roommate, support group, or club, get connected!
3. Practice intuitive eating. This can be hard and can take practice. Remember that food can be fun and connecting. It’s okay to participate in the study sessions with pizza and ice cream.
4. Wear comfortable clothes. Our clothes are meant to fit our bodies, not the other way around. We feel happier and less focused on our bodies when they fit the way they need to fit.
5. Create a rhythm. The transition from high school to college can be a rollercoaster. Creating a routine that incorporates adequate sleep, food, movement, and social connection can lessen the overall stress you may experience as you adjust.
*Neurodivergent folks may also have difficulty connecting to hunger/fullness cues. Working with a ND-affirming RD can be a helpful resource.