September 25, 2006
Positive Body Image: Fighting The Frosh 15
 It’s that time of year again. The kids are off to school...whew! But, for those of you sending your sons and daughters off to college for the very first time, that’s a whole new level of stress!
You may be familiar with the term ‘the freshman 15’ but, hopefully, your kids are not. There’s enough for them to stress about isn't there? Recently, I heard someone close to me discussing this potential problem with her daughter and I cringed. Why set her up for one more thing to worry about? Don’t our young women struggle enough trying to meet the unrealistic standards of beauty that our society forces upon them? And could college be any more of a breeding ground for body image distortion as it is?
It may be inevitable that some freshman men and women will gain weight their first year in college. But should we stress them out about it? The fact is, the infamous 'frosh 15' may not be a reality at all. But, like many colloquialisms, it has found its way into our vernacular. It is a fact that many young men and women will initially experience some trouble balancing their weight along with all the lifestyle changes they face at college. Dorm food, late night snacking, stress, lack of sleep, time management and the lack of structure all contribute to changes in eating and physical activity.
In an article at kidshealth.org, they share that Researchers at Cornell University actually discovered that students gained an average of 4 pounds during the first 12 weeks of their freshman year - a rate of gain that is 11 times higher than the typical weight gain for 17 and 18 year olds. Importantly, though not everyone is destined to gain a full 15 pounds. A multi-year study by researchers at Tufts University found that, on average, men gain 6 pounds and women gain 4.5 during their first year of college. I can live with that and hopefully they can too.
If your child is one of those who is really struggling with their weight what
can you do? For more information on young women and disordered
eating you can check out the Young Women’s program
at fitwoman.com
for advice and additional resources.
Photo credit: University of Vermont from the Nationaltrust.org
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