Monday, July 20, 2009
To some incoming students, the “freshman 15” seems like an unavoidable rite of passage. However, according to the University’s team of dieticians, the dreaded curse can be easily overcome — making it less fact, and more fiction.
Ann Chapman, registered dietician with Student Health Services, said the freshman 15 only pertained to some students. The students who gain the weight are normally eating fattier foods in the dining halls and are participating in less physical activity. Chapman said the University was working to eliminate unhealthy eating by offering better options in the dining halls and other dining locations around campus.
“The students who gain the weight are making less healthy choices, and taking advantage of the 24/7 access to the dining hall’s all-fat foods,” Chapman said.
Hillary Dalton, Dallas junior, said she was a “victim” of the freshman 15.
“Yes, the freshman 15 is real,” Dalton said. “I would eat Pita Pit and Gumby’s Pizza on a regular basis. Plus I consumed a lot of beer.”
Dalton said that she has now lost the weight, but that it took her a while. She said she started to go to the grocery store for better food options, and quit eating late at night.
Chapman said a majority of freshman weight gain came from late-night eating and consumption of alcohol. According to a 2007 study by Cornell University, the average student gains 4.2 pounds every semester. The weight gain is based on the students eating just 175 calories more than what is burned.
“The extra 175 calories equals an extra piece of bread or one mixed drink,” Chapman said. “It was also said that one-fifth of the students had eaten meals in the dining halls, or had late-night junk food.”
Chapman said that when students came to her for help, she gave them a variety of things to work on. She said she first started by telling them to eat breakfast, which helps to boost metabolism.
“Breakfast is the most important meal because it immediately awakens a person’s metabolism,” Chapman said. “After that I tell them to continue eating every 3 1/2 to 4 hours to avoid splurging on larger lunch and dinner portions.”
Chapman also said many Americans under-eat their produce. She said she recommended students fill up half their plate with fruits and vegetables.
Lauren Precopia, Sherman, Texas, senior, said she did not gain the freshman 15 thanks to a balanced diet and exercising consistently.
“I lived in Oliver, and would take advantage of its great salad bar,” Precopia said. “I also walked everywhere — to campus and even across the street to the Rec Center.”
Precopia said she thought the freshman 15 was a myth, and that it was all about making healthier choices.
Chapman said a salad bar was not the only healthy choice option. In 2003, she and a task force called H.O.M.E.B.A.S.E., a group focused on healthy eating, created an affordable weight management system through the University. The system focuses on putting healthier food in the University’s dining areas. The food, labeled Better Bites, is available to all students in dining halls along with The Underground, the Market, Crimson Cafe, and Hawk Food Stops.
“I tell my students now about Better Bites, and how they now have healthier food options,” Chapman said. “Along with that we also have net nutrition online.”
Net nutrition is a Web application dedicated to managing calorie intake. Chapman said if students went to the application online, they could type in any food they have eaten in the University’s dining services and it would give them an exact calorie count. This helps the students keep track of exactly what they have consumed, said Chapman.
As far as the future goes, Chapman said she was still working on more healthy options for the students.
“I would like to see our nutrition program expand,” Chapman said. “It is important for students to know that there are healthier options out there.”
— — Edited by Kristen Liszewski
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Comments
Avoiding the ‘freshman 15’
One piece of bread has a 175 calories?
Avoiding the ‘freshman 15’
If you put butter on it, yeah.
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