Many factors contribute to college freshmen gaining the dreaded “Freshman 15.” Often the reduction of physical activity, an increase in poor eating choices and the added stress of college courses can affect the weight shown on the scale.
“Along with the availability of food everywhere is the problem of having a wide variety of food available,” said Susan Quinn, an instructor of family and consumer sciences. “A multitude of food choices leads people to eat more than they do when they have fewer choices. Think about the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, when you eat much more than you normally would just because you want to enjoy all of the different dishes. Research has shown that people eat less calories when the food choices are limited.”
Quinn also said that students should avoid processed foods such as microwave meals, frozen entrees, fried foods and chips, and instead should stock their rooms with fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain cereals, canned meats and water.
“You should drink about three liters of water, daily,” said Megan Mast, Assistant Director of Health and Fitness with Recreational Sports and Wellness. “Refrain from high salt contents, and foods that have a lot of preservatives and a high caloric value should be avoided.”
Food, however, is not the only factor in the “Freshman 15.” Hours of sleep and stress level are also important factors that affect weight gain.
According to Mast, students should attempt to get eight hours of sleep each night and avoid waiting until the last minute to study for exams or complete projects. Students should also avoid “feeding their stress” by eating when they get overwhelmed.
“My suggestions are that they avoid excessive snacking between meals, going out for food after dinner, alcohol, which contains many ’empty’ calories and also leads to eating more,” said Quinn. “Instead, they should eat at least three meals a day, or four to six if smaller amounts are eaten, at regular scheduled times. This will help them control their between-meal snacking and avoid excessive hunger when they do eat, at the same time keeping their energy level up and brain functioning optimally.”
Recreational Sports and Wellness hopes the Pennington Student Activity Center will be a popular destination for students looking for a healthy lifestyle.
“Fit Freshmen, a program just for freshmen, is currently in progress,” said Mast. “Participants will get a punch card after signing up at the Control Desk. Every time they come to the gym, they get a punch. The object is to fill it up. Once your card is full, you get another one.”
All cards that have been turned in will go into a raffle for prizes at Late Night Southeastern on October 19. The more punch cards turned in, the higher the chance to win a prize.
All students are encouraged to take advantage of the Pennington facilities, participate in intramural sports and Group X classes and enroll in kinesiology labs such as tennis or walking for fitness.
For more information on any of the programs and services please visit rswcenter.com or friend RSW SELU on Facebook.