Everyone’s heard of the “freshman 15,” that insidious weight gain that creeps up on first-year college students. But is there truth to it?
Researchers say there is. A study at Cornell University found that students gain an average of four pounds during the first three months of their freshman year of college – a rate that is 11 times higher than typical for 17- and 18- year-olds.
Think about it: For every student who maintains pre- college weight, there’s another who is eight pounds heavier by Thanksgiving. And the first semester isn’t even over.