Terry Rogers, a freshman chemistry major, standing in front of the Healthy for Life Kiosk in the Heritage Dining Hall. Photo: Taylor Bembery
Tenesha Hughes
Staff Writer
Many people say that college is not only a place where you gain knowledge but also pounds. Everyone has heard of the infamous Freshman 15 but is it real or fictional? Some students say that the Freshman 15 is real.
Being away from home many students find the freedom of being on their own can cause many temptations. Food choices suffer, from the long nights of staying up and grabbing unhealthy snacks, to the fast food places on campus such as Burger King, Pizza Hut, and even the selections on campus.
Some students even say that when the go to Wal-Mart they tend to pick out foods such as Hot Cheetos, cookies, candy, ice cream, etc. Students find themselves going into their refrigerator every single night.
Freshman 15 is a term used to describe the weight gain by freshmen during the first year of college, although according to kidshealth.org, studies show that students on average gain 3 to 10 pounds during their first two years of college. Most of this weight gain occurs during the first semester of freshman year.
“I think it is real because when you come to college no one is telling you don’t eat this or don’t eat that, you just eat all day and there is access to food 24/7,” said Julianna Robinson, a freshman biology pre-med major from Chicago, Ill.
Some students also say that the limited choice of food in Heritage Dining Hall does not help with their eating habits. In an effort to promote better nutrition, Food Sevices put up a Healthy for Life nutrition central guide that shows how to count the calories in the food they serve daily. There are also plenty of fruit baskets and smoothies to substitute for that sweet tooth students often have.
“It’s decent. All I really eat is the pizza and on certain days when they have the fried chicken and the fish is pretty good,” said Terry Rogers, a freshman chemistry pre-med major from Memphis, Tenn.
In addition to watching the diet, students can take advantage of the Walter Payton Recreation Center to get plenty of exercise to make sure to avoid the Freshman 15. The on campus facility is free to all Jackson State students, and also provides membership for the community, staff and faulty, at low prices.
Jason Robison, a certified personal trainer and recent graduate of JSU, said students should go to the campus gym, interact in intramural sports, and join student clubs to avoid gaining extra pounds.
Many students swap their high school sports for the studies and don’t realize how many calories they are in taking. Students say that because they are new, they don’t really know how to stay active so they are just in their dorm rooms most of the time eating the foods they bought.
Many freshmen also do not realize how important sleep is.
“At least seven hours is the most a normal person need to sleep so they can be well rested for the next day,” said Robison.
According to www.livescience.com , in a large analysis of the link, researchers looked at 36 studies, including 635,000 people around the world, and found that adults who didn’t get enough sleep were 50 percent more likely to be obese; and children who didn’t get enough sleep were 90 percent more likely to be obese, compared with those who got adequate sleep.
If you would like to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle or find out ways to stay active on campus and avoid gaining the Freshman 15, visit the Walter Payton Recreation & Wellness Center at 601-979-1368.
Join group fitness classes and intramural sports and work around your schedule to stay healthy.
