Forkin’ 15
“Sticking a Fork in the Freshman 15”
By Alec Blieberg
Overview
 “Freshman 15”: What is it?
 Who is Effected?
 Causes of the “Freshman 15”
 Results of the “Freshman 15”
 What do Studies show
 Making Sense of the Results
 Interventions: What Can Be Done
 Conclusion
 Resources
“Freshman 15”: What is it?
 The ‘Freshman 15’ made its debut when it was
used in a Seventeen magazine back in 1989
(Crombie et. al, 84).
 Since then the ‘Freshman 15’ has been defined
as:
 “The number of pounds (15) purportedly
gained during the first year of attending
university” (Crombie et. al, 84).
Who is Effected?
 College Freshman (1st year on campus).
 “The prevalence of obesity & overweight in the United
States has increased over the last 2 to 3 decades for all
genders, ages, racial and ethnic groups and
educational levels” (Hoffman Quick & Lee, 41).
 According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System “overweight and obesity in 18- to 24-year-olds
was 42.7%” (Gropper, Simmons, Gaines, et. al, 2009).
Causes of the “Freshman 15”
 Transition from high school to the university environment presents
many changes in the lives of university freshman students. Of the
changes is unwanted weight gain (Thomas, 383).
 With dramatic changes (new friends, place, work, etc.) comes
stress, which leads to (Hoffman, Quick & Lee, 43):
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Being away from home (home sick).
Eating to take focus off stress.
Comfort foods (high in fat) are usually the escape choice.
Overeating in buffet-style cafeterias.
Less participation in physical activities.
Increased alcohol consumption.
Poor choices of what food to eat, when to eat and how much to eat (ex.
fast food).
Results of the “Freshman 15”
 The following is what happens and the risk that can be
potentially dangerous with weight gain ():
 Lower self-esteem, self-confidence & poor self-image.
 Tire, sluggish & loss of motivation (school, social life
negatively affected).
 Increased risk for serious medical disorders:
 Cardiovascular Diseases
 Diabetes
 Potentially certain types of cancer
What Do Studies Show
 (1) School Year Study
 Of 101 freshman, a mean weight gain of 3.08lbs occurred
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(Jung, Bray, & Ginis, 2008).
Of 69 freshman, a mean weight gain of 2.08kg occurred (Lowe,
Annunziato, Msrkowitz, et. al, 2006).
Of 240 freshman, a mean weight gain of 2.6 +/- 5.3lbs occurred
(Gropper, Simmons, Gaines, et. al, 2009).
0f 30 freshman, 29 participants gained weight, while the
average body mass increased from 22 to 24 (Smith-Jackson &
Reel, 2012).
Of 67 freshman, a mean weight gain of 7lbs occurred.
(Hoffman, Quick & Lee, 2006).
What Do Studies Show
 (1/2) School Year Study (1 Semester)
 Of 61 freshman, a mean weight gain of 1.5lbs occurred.
18 students gained more than 4lbs (Hodge, Jackson, &
Sullivan, 1993).
 Of 125 freshman, a mean weight gain of 2.7lbs. Men
increased 3.7lbs & women increased 1.7lbs
(Mihalopoulos, Auinger, & Klein, 2008).
 Of 193 freshman, a mean weight gain of 7.1lbs occurred.
57% participants recorded a weight gain (Kasparek,
Corwin, & Valois, et. al, 2008).
Making Sense of the Results
 Freshman students across many years have continually
experienced an increase in their weight.
 While no study shows freshman gaining 15+lbs, each study
did show freshman gain weight.
 It proves that freshman are susceptible to weight gain in
their first year.
 Freshman students are uninformed and unprepared for the
dramatic changes involving college life.
 These studies support the need for intervention for incoming
freshman students.
Interventions: What Can Be
Done
 A mandatory Freshman nutrition class
 All incoming Freshman take the class within their first year on
campus.
 Teach the students how to:
 Properly diet (portion control, good vs. bad calories) (Thomas, 384).
 Importance of good eating habits (not eating late) (Thomas, 384).
 Foods to keep in their dorm room (Thomas, 384).
 Importance of regular exercise (Czerw, 1).
 Impact of bad snacks vs. healthy snacks, alcohol & drug use and its
effect on the students health (short & long term) (Thomas, 384).
 Learning about the campus dining halls and how to make the right
choices come mealtime (The Dark Side of Nutrition, 10).
 Balancing your diet & balance your school schedule (The Dark Side of
Nutrition, 10).
Interventions: What Can Be
Done
 Models of Success:
 Each school listed below provides a nutrition class follow
for their incoming Freshman students.
 These schools provide a 3-credit semester class that focuses
on the aspects highlighted on the previous page.
 Raritan Valley Community College (Czerw, 1).
 Harvard University (The Dark Side of Nutrition, 10).
 CW Post (Thomas, 384).
Resources
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Crombie, A. P., Ilich, J. Z., Dutton, G. R., Panton, L. B., & Abood, D. A. (2009). “The freshman weight gain phenomenon
revisited.” Nutrition Reviews, 67(2), 83-94. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from the Academic search premier.
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Czerw, M. (2009) www.raritanval.edu. Raritan valley community college. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from
http://www.raritanval.edu/uploadedFiles/academics/course_outlines/BIOL142.pdf.
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Gropper, S. S., Simmons, K. P., Gaines, A., Drawdy, K., Saunders, D., Ulrich, P., et al. (2009). The freshman 15 - a
look. Journal of American College Health, 58(3), 223-231. Retrieved October 6, 2012, from the EBSCOhost
database.
closer
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Hodge, C. N., Jackson, L. A., & Sullivan, L. A. (1993). The "Freshman 15": Facts and fantasies about weight gain in
women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 17(1), 199-126. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from
the ERIC
database.
college
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Hoffman, D. J., Policastro, P., Quick, V., & Lee, S. (2006). Changes in body weight and fat mass of men and women in
the first year of college: a study of the "freshman 15". Journal of American College Health, 55(1), 41-45. Retrieved
October 7, 2012, from the EBSCOhost database.
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Jung, M. E., Bray, S. R., & Ginis, K. A. (2008). "Behavior change and the freshman 15: Tracking physical activity and dietary
patterns in 1st-year university women." Journal of American College Health 56(5), 523-530. Retrieved September 16, 2012,
from the EBSCOhost database.
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Kasparek, D. G., Corwin, S. J., Valois, R. F., Sargent, R. G., & Morris, R. L. (2008). Selected health behaviors that
influence
college freshman weight change. Journal of American College Health, 56(4), 437-444. Retrieved
October 26, 2012, from
the ERIC database.
Resources
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Lowe, M. R., Annunziato R. A., Msrkowitz J. T., Didle E., Bellace D. L., Riddell L., Maille
C., McKinney S., & Stice E. (2006). "Multiple types of dieting prospectively predict weight
gain during the freshman year of college."
Appetite 47(1), 83-90. Retrieved
September 16, 2012, from the Science
direct.
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Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D. (2008). The freshman 15: is it real?.
Journal of American College Health, 56(5), 531-534. Retrieved October 6, 2012,
from the EBSCOhost database.
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Smith-Jackson, T., & Reel, J. J. (2012). Freshmen women and the "Freshman 15":
Perspectives on prevalence and causes of college weight gain. Journal of
American College Health, 60(1), 14-20. Retrieved October 26, 2012, from the
ERIC database.
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“The Dark Side of Nutrition.” (2009). Food management 44(4),10-11. Retrieved
December 4, 2012, from the Business source premier.
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Thomas, J. R. (2006). “Weight gain awareness, the Freshman 15”. Journal of
Nutrition Education and Behavior 38(6), 383-385. Retrieved from the
Education; General science.