A change in lifestyle from high school to freshmen year of
college can lead to a change in how firstyears manage their
eating. Not having home-cooked meals may result in fast-food
choices, and the stress of school can be difficult to deal with and
an open buffet can add a second dinner that may not have been eaten
otherwise. “A typical dining hall offers a salad bar and
fresh cooked vegetables but there are fried foods and in addition
to those choices there is also the factor of unlimited
portions,” said Russell Klettke, author of “A
Guy’s Gotta Eat,” a book about how to manage eating.
The biggest factor which causes freshmen to gain weight is their
transition from a structured eating environment at home to an
unstructured one at school, Klettke said. “It’s being
able to negotiate this new way of eating which is totally healthy
in the residence halls but it’s just setting up your schedule
and dealing with all you can eat,” said Elisa Terry,
assistant director for fitness at the Wooden Center. “This is
a transition period for people and … it’s not about your
appearance and your weight. It’s about being a healthy person
and it is more so about trying to develop your lifestyle and
yourself,” Terry said. Learning how to manage one’s
college life can lead to bad nutrition choices. “When you get
to college your lifestyle changes and you have to make an effort to
exercise and not to snack late at night,” said Alethea
Avramis, a second year student. “It’s really easy to
get the freshmen 15 because I had friends who gained weight …
(due to) overeating and overdrinking and not getting enough
exercise,” she added. Maintaining a healthy eating and
exercising routine can help freshmen deal with the lifestyle
change. “They have to look at their habits before they came
to college. What was their exercise regime before? What were their
eating habits before? They want to maintain those good habits as
much as possible,” said Susan Bowerman, assistant director of
the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Klettke outlines three major
areas that can help first years stay fit while making the lifestyle
transition in college. Nutrition is the first major area.
“Things like B vitamins contribute to nervous-system health
and even things like folic acid play a big role in bone density
which is a big part of anyone who is involved in athletic
pursuits,” Klettke said. Folic acid a B vitamin
can be found in vegetables and fruits, such as peas. Eating in
moderation and eating healthy snacks can also keep first-years
healthy. “The more natural human thing to do is to eat a
little bit all day long. Snacking is a good idea but you have to
learn to snack the right way … There is no greater advantage than
having food at home,” he said. The UCLA Housing and
Hospitalities Web site suggests drinking a glass of water before
each meal in order to not overeat. Getting sleep, walking and
eating breakfast are all tips Klettke lists. But firstyears
aren’t the only students in college in risk of gaining
weight. If a bad eating habit is formed as a freshman then it can
be upheld throughout the rest of that student’s college and
adult life, Klettke said. “Some people in the higher grades,
those who eat according to their stress, can find their stress
level increase as school becomes more demanding and their eating
hours can become more erratic,” Bowerman said. “They
are not sleeping that well, they don’t make time to exercise,
they don’t have money. These patterns can leave with them
when they leave college,” she said. Finding healthy ways to
manage stress, such as with exercise, controlling portions and
maintaining a similar dietary and exercise regime prior to coming
to college can keep freshmen fit, Bowerman said. The John Wooden
Center provides classes and exercise options, and students can
participate in intramural and club sports, among other activities,
to manage their stress, Terry said.