Students can avoid Freshman 15 with healthy habits

By Katie De Boer
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

Many young men and women are swallowing burgers in one gulp and bellying up for seconds. What is the name of this behavior? It's called the freshman 15, and it affects numerous college students.

It has been a part of college life for about as long as young people have been heading off in pursuit of higher education. The term freshman 15 is used to describe the typical weight gain many freshmen experience their first year of college.

As of January 2004 4,000 out of 16,000 students surveyed were overweight and 1376 students were obese, according to the National College Health Assessment. In other words, four out of every 16 students were overweight and one out of every 16 students was obese. The study also found that students age 21 and older were more likely to be obese than those that were under 21. Also male students were more likely to be overweight or obese than female students. Finally, 71 percent of all the students surveyed claimed they were trying to lose weight.

Roberta Anding, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association found that "about 60 percent of the college students" he deals with, "will put on weight their freshman year, from as little as five pounds to as many as 25."

CSULB freshman Rebecca Hermann, often finds her self taking a quick look at the snack bar during breaks between classes. She believes, however, that "walking around campus" balances out the calorie intake. Hermann also finds that studying and stress has a lot to do with her midnight cravings.

Hermann said, "I usually pay attention to what I eat; however, lately I have been studying so much that I deserve a piece of chocolate every now and then."

She has also found that she has not gained any weight yet this year and hopes the freshman 15 won't catch up to her.

The first year of college, especially when young adults move away from home, is often a time of personal, social and physical transformation. Russell Klettke author of "A Guy's Gotta Eat" published last March, deals mostly with the eating habits of men. He, however, also discovered bad eating patterns of students in college. He established that many students need to learn how to balance and moderate their food intake.

Over the last 10 years Klettke has been a Public Relations representative for Mc Donald's and the Nutra-Sweet Co. through which he developed many understandings of how companies formulate foods and how they use consumers in making their products. In general, he found that people who skip breakfast show higher obesity rates than people who do not. The reason is because the metabolism is at its slowest in the morning. Eating early activates the metabolism burning calories faster through-out the day. Also, not eating affects the brain and slows down working habits.

Klettke advises college students, "Not to be indifferent, two thirds of Americans are over weight facing many medical problems; don't let bad nutrition get to you!"

CSULB offers many advantages to students that need help with their diet. First is the Student Health Center, where help is offered by senior and graduate level students from the Department of Family and Consumer Science's Dietetics program. This program evaluates dietary habits and providing individual counseling so students can develop a healthy eating plan designed for his or her particular lifestyle.

Another useful source is the on-campus gym Frogs. Students are given high discounts that beat surrounding city gyms. There is a $145 semester pass that allows students to go to the gym in-between classes, at night, or on the weekends. Students also have the option of passes that are good month to month.

Mike Moriarty a representative of the gym says included in the membership price is "Two one-hour sessions with a trainer that allows the students go over personal goals…and to help them become more familiar with the machines."

The gym is open Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located on Atherton between Bellflower and Palo Verde on the North end of campus.

CSULB senior Amelie Segrestan, also an employee at Frogs, finds that there are more freshman and students living in the dorms who utilize the gym because it is close and accessible. It also allows freshman to meet freshman while exercising. Segrestan, who also lived in the dorms for two years, knows the battle of the freshman 15. She found that the dinning halls "didn't give the best food choices and the time was always limited" therefore she found her-self buying microwavable foods and not consuming the most nutritious foods.

On the other end of the spectrum, Klettke and Deanna Conte Klettke wrote "15 Steps to Avoid the Freshman 15," using strategies that can help the typical college student with their every-day eating habits.

1. Complex carbs (whole grains, fruits and vegetables with their skin on) digest slowly; regulating blood sugar levels so your energy levels are more consistent.

2. Leaner protein (legumes, low-fat dairy, egg whites, skinless chicken, white fish, shellfish (without the butter), lean pork and beef such as cuts with the word "loin" in them) have fewer calories.

3. Fat without feet (nuts, vegetable oils, cold water fish such as salmon, anchovies and herring) are the healthy, unsaturated fats that enable better absorption of other nutrients

4. Alcohol buzz: Of course alcohol is prohibited to those under 21. So when you get there, know that regular beer has about 180 calories per bottle.

5. B-buzz: If there is a family of vitamins you need for good brain function (alertness, mood, energy), it's the Bs: B1, B5, B6, B12, and folic acid.

6. Portion control people know when to stop eating. Pay attention to when you feel too full.

7. Socialize over meals. College is preparation for life, including the business dinner. If you are having conversation while you eat it reduces the speed of your eating.

8. Snacking regulates energy levels, if you do it right, and reduces the likelihood of feeling famished at mealtime. Protein, plant fats and whole fruits and vegetables digest slowest and are most satisfying; a sweet muffin or any sugary snack has the opposite effect.

9. Late night snacking is a category unto itself. Keep some savory or sweet indulgences around, just make sure to limit it to 200 calories.

10. Get equipped: Something as simple as a can opener and a small refrigerator enables you to feed your academic bean with mini-meals such as canned Garbanzo beans.

11. Study smart: Prepping for a test can be lonely, which is when snack foods become a best friend. Rule of thumb: If you have snack foods in your room, you will eat them, probably all in one sitting and we bet you're not even sharing.

12. Beverage habits might shock you: If you're drinking a sugary soda pop, it usually has 150 calories per can. Drink four a day and that's 600 calories. Oh, and that venti coffee frappuccino at Starbucks? 405 calories. Remember that water has no calories.

13. Sleep, or rather the lack thereof, might seem like a calorie burner. Truth is, your body looks to conserve energy in other ways and that might include doing fewer physical things. Not to mention late night snacking.

14. Walk. Particularly for students who have no time for organized exercise, walking helps stimulate nature's feel-good substances in the body, serotonins and endorphins.

15. Eat breakfast. People who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be obese.