College Study on Weight Gain and Weight
Loss
College Weight Study Summary
College makes us gain weight, particularly fat on the hips, thighs and
stomachs, according to a Cornell University weight loss study that says
the "freshman 15" weight gain is a real phenomenon - and a warning
signal to the obesity epidemic among the nation's adults.
College Weight Study Method
The weight loss study followed 60 freshmen to assess their weight gain
during their first year away from home. Participants were weighed at the
beginning and end of their first 12 weeks in college. They answered a
questionnaire about eating, exercise and sleeping habits.
College Weight Study Results
At the end of the study, subjects gained an average of about 158 grams
(about 51/2 ounces) of weight a week. Although that is the caloric equivalent
of two apples or a plain bagel, it is almost 11 times more than the weekly
weight gain expected in 17- and 18-year-olds. American adults gain about
8 grams (about one-fourth of an ounce) a week, a rate of increase that
is considered unhealthy by many nutritionists.
College Weight Study - Factors for Weight
Gain
The reasons for freshmen weight gain include students' access to all-you-can-eat
dining facilities, the easy access to and consumption of junk food and
an increase in evening snacking. The Cornell study did not consider students'
use of alcohol, but said that it certainly contributes to weight gain.
Weight Loss Study - Conclusions
Researchers said weight gain in the first-year of college is a trend that
usually begins in high school. Regardless of where or when it starts,
it should be a wake-up call to potential obesity problems later. If campus
weight gain is the beginning of adult obesity, then it should be possible
to study various methods and techniques that might prevent the freshman
weight gain in the hope that they might be effective in the general population
to reduce or reverse the trend toward increasing body weight.
Source: Cape Cod Times, October 12, 2003
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