Reagan Johnson/Winonan

This week’s Wellness Wednesday tackled the issue of the freshman fifteen. Professor Janet Macon, a health, exercise and rehabilitative science instructor, gave students facts on freshmen weight gain and tactics on how to avoid it.

“This is already an issue on our campus and campuses around the country,” Macon said.

For many students, tackling the “freshman fifteen” means adapting to the new lifestyle that college exposes them to and taking responsibility for their own health.

Although freshman weight gain is most commonly referred to as “The freshman fifteen,” statistics show that the average weight gain is between 3-6 pounds. Most of that weight is gained during the first month of college life.

She asked the audience to write down what they believed to be the biggest contributor to college weight gain.

Freshman Haley Rienke said the she believed that the weight gain was due to “the lack of healthy diet and exercise schedule and routine.”

Another cause of weight gain is an increased variety in food choices. Macon explained how the variety we have, the more our appetite is stimulated. Walking into the dining hall, students are faced with an abundance of choices in foods. When a person limits their variety of foods, they can generally expect to have a decrease in appetite.

“Freedom is about taking responsibly,” Macon said. Macon stressed the importance of taking responsibility for the decisions students face. For many students, these decisions include whether or not to drink alcohol and how much to drink.

Winona State University student Tonya Kritz said, “Some of my friends gained weight freshman year, but I think a lot of it was just from drinking.”

This is a common problem for many college students, because liquid calories are easier to consume than food calories.

Students who drink alcohol can find themselves with a higher caloric intake than those who abstain from drinking.

“When we go out drinking, we don’t make room for those calories,” Macon said.

Liquid calories not only come from alcohol but also from sugary drinks that many students use to keep them awake for late night study sessions. Energy drinks and soda can pack between 200 – 300 calories each. These calories can add up quickly.

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