Keep the pizza coming: Freshmen 15 is a myth

What do unicorns, Sasquatch and the “freshman 15” have in common?

Studies show all three are myths. 

A 2010 University of Michigan study found that first-year students typically gain between 2.5 and six pounds —­ much less than the storied 15. 

Meg Mayer-Costa, a registered dietician for the University, said the freshman 15 has been around for two decades.

The first article that mentioned the “freshman 15” was published in Seventeen magazine in 1989. The story didn’t refer to scientific evidence, but the phrase still survives today. 

Taylor Salamone, a freshman marketing major, said she feels worried to look at a scale.

“I am a little scared of the freshman 15 and really hope I don’t gain it,” Salamone said. “I’d much rather lose the freshman 15.”

A 2010 Carleton University research study said several factors contribute to the weight gain that freshmen often see. The “majority of students’ diets do not meet nutritional guidelines, particularly in terms of recommended fruit and vegetable intake” the study said, and 70 percent of students studied did not meet physical exercise requirements. With on-site dining facilities in both Litchfield Towers and Sutherland, staying away from the easy access all-you-can-eat food can be a challenge for Pitt students. 

Furthermore, when dining halls offer a significantly wider array of foods, University of Michigan researchers found that students will eat more because they’re usually trying to get a taste of everything.

“Freshmen assigned to dormitories with on-site dining halls gained more weight than those who had to venture outside of their dorms for food,” the Michigan study said.

But with Pitt being the 12th healthiest college campus according to Greatist.com, the likelihood of putting on the 15 is very low, and the possibility of losing or maintaining weight is more realistic.

According to the Michigan study, a students’ school environment also plays a significant role.

The University offers programs such as PantherWELL, a peer education program designed to help students promote health and wellness, residence hall gyms open 24/7 and registered dieticians who are available to students under the University’s health fee with tuition. The cost per semester for the student health fee is $105. 

According to Mayer-Costa, students normally only gain a few pounds during their first year, but with her experience, there often tends to be a “creepage” of weight from year to year.

These small weights can be unnoticeable, but over time can lead to a much larger weight gain.

Eating healthy tends to fall behind the stress of classes, juggling extracurriculars and exams for some students. The Carleton University study found that the stress of examinations often leads to a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption.

Christopher Feghali and Lia Farrell provided some small tips to avoid the freshman 15. Pitt’s primary fitness facility in the Petersen Events Center is just 0.4 miles or a 10-minute walk from Litchfield Towers, a central location of lower campus. Students can find another fitness facility at Bellefield Hall, an 11-minute, 0.5 mile walk from Towers.

“When you have to walk somewhere, walk fast,” Feghali, a senior psychology major, said. “And make use of the gym services that your tuition pays for.”

Farrel, a junior psychology major, warned against liquid calories.

“Alcohol has more calories than you think, [and] late night snacks are a bad idea,” Farrell said. “I always carry healthy snacks with me.”

Not only do poor eating habits contribute, but a lack of sleep can lead to a weight gain. 

“When you’re up studying late at night, you don’t ever crave carrot sticks,” Mayer-Costa said.