Weight Gain

Running head: Freshman year

Freshman Year: A gain In knowledge and a Gain In WEIGHT and the differences in gender

Abstract

This study begins by showing the importance of Economos study College freshman stress and weight change: Difference by gender, yet many flaws were found in this study. A baseline study was given to 400 Methodist College freshman students and 400 freshman students from a division 1 school, 8 months later a duplicate study called the follow up study was given to the same participants. Results from base line and follow up studies were compared. In the current study researchers hypothesized that weight gain is higher when the baseline study is accurately recorded and compared to follow up study. Results showed that freshman gained on average 5-6 pounds in April after first baseline study, cause for weight increase may have been due to stress, leisure time, amount of strenuous activities, and alcohol consumption.

Freshman Year: A gain In knowledge and a Gain In WEIGHT and the differences by gender.

Millions of high school graduates enter the college world each year, things such as roommates, parties, dorm rooms and school work are the main areas that plague students mind. Yet a common but unknown problem that plagues millions of incoming freshman, is the infamous " freshman 15". As many researchers have found, weight gain is commonly associated with different stressors that occur during a students freshman year, and neither male or females are immune to freshman weight gain. As stated in College Freshman stress and weight change: Differences by gender, there is a general myth concerning weight gain that occurs in college freshman as being called " freshman 15" (pg.1). Yet with later studies came the idea that 15 pounds may not be an accurate number and Economos (2008) states that "prior studies on both men and women report mean changes from a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 5.5 pounds over the freshman academic year"(pg.1). In the article College Freshman stress and weight change: Differences by gender, this idea of weight gain is in both female and male college freshman is discussed. The authors of this article begin by explaining other related research and where this research may have failed. Next this article discusses the target factors that affect weight gain in college freshman, "insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, high consumption of fried or fatty foods, decreased exercise, increase leisure time, and heavy alcohol use has been documented in this population. In this study 396 students with baseline and follow up study were used, the baseline study was given to freshman and asked them to assess their current height and weight and stress levels. Follow up study was given to students in April, and measurements were taken accurately and each student received likert scale questionnaires that asked about stress levels. Alcohol and food/veggie consumption over the school year. Although this study showed significant findings amongst men and women and their weight loss, the ways in which the research was collected is confounded. The amount of participants used showed that most participants were white females, and the rest of the group had little diversity. This study was also done at 1 college, where activities and school food menus may differ immensely from college to college. Participants were asked record their own height and weight, and this data was later compared to more accurate obtained data, . In the current study we will also use the previously identified stressors to help show a cause and effect relationship with weight gain. Yet in the current study we predicted that weight gain is higher when the baseline study is accurately recorded and compared to follow up study.

Method

Participants

As previously described 396 participants were used in the previous study at one college, the participants consisted mostly of white females. In the current study 400 college students from a small private Methodist college were used, and 400 college students from a division 1 university were used. Of the 400 Methodist college participants 276 were female and 152 were male, 307 were White, 56 were African American, and 37 were Hispanic or other. Of the participants at the division 1 university 301 were female and 99 were male, 331 were of African decent ( African