College students are likely to pack on 15 pounds during their freshman year, right? Not quite, say Rutgers University researchers who find that the ââ?¬Å?Freshman Fifteenââ?¬Â phenomenon is exaggerated. In their sample of 67 students who were weighed in the fall and again in the spring of their freshman years, the average weight gain was only 7 pounds, the result of consuming about 112 excess calories a day. Researchers note, however, that three-quarters of the students in the study did gain weight, which could spell trouble if weight gain continues through graduation. The results of the study will be published in the Journal of American College Health this spring.
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