Fend Off the Freshman 15
Stay Healthy When You Start College
-- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer
College opens up a whole new world for many. A world of freedom, hard work, late nights and late mornings, cramming, fun with friends, and all too often, binges on unhealthy food. Before calls for convenience overrun calls for health, take a minute to think about what you are eating. Make smart choices to ensure that the "Freshman 15" weight gain will pass you by.
The "Freshman 15" is the weight that young people who first go away to university can gain once in their new environment, often 15 pounds or more. It’s much easier to prevent extra pounds than to try to lose the excess weight later. Going to college is such a big change in life; you’ll want to be the healthiest that you can be to get off on the right foot. The freshman year is a critical period to combat this or any weight gain.
It’s probably a lot harder to get the right things in your body when you or the school cafeteria is doing all of the cooking, not your parents. To start with, simply keep track of what you eat each day. This will also help you keep tabs on mindless munching that might happen while studying or watching television. (And, it’s all too tempting to eat to avoid hitting the books.)
