A recent study at Indiana University, Bloomington shows that students tend to gain weight and exercise less as they move throughout their college careers, contradicting the commonly held notion of a "freshman 15" weight gain.
In general, seniors at the campus walk less, perform less moderate exercise and perform less vigorous exercise than their freshman counterparts, said Jeanne Johnston, study author and assistant kinesiology professor.
Seniors weighed more and had higher body-mass indexes, probably as a result of these habits, Johnston said. She speculated that this may be because of how students' lives change as their college experiences progress.
"Freshman year, you're getting used to college, but senior year, you're focused on finishing up studies [and] applying for jobs. There may be less free time," she said.
She also hypothesized that freshmen have to walk all across campus for their classes, while seniors generally focus on their major and may have their classes concentrated in one or two buildings.
A total of 1,672 Indiana University students participated in the survey. Researchers did not track the students during their time at school but rather compared current students in each class.
Melanie Brede, a registered dietician at the University of Virginia's student health center, agreed that studies tend not to support the notion that first-year students experience a drastic weight gain compared to upperclassmen.
"My experience with students mimics that," Brede said. "Some lose weight and some gain."
Citing a study of female University students conducted last fall, Brede said the amount that students exercised conformed to a bell curve. More than 50 percent of female students exercised at least twice a week, and only 20 percent did not exercise at all. Likewise, very few students exercised seven days a week.
Johnston said freshmen at her campus exercised moderately 4.5 hours a week and vigorously 3.4 hours. Seniors, on the other hand, exercised moderately 3.1 hours a week and vigorously 2.6 hours.
Brede said students at the University are generally healthier on average in comparison to students at other college campuses. Based on height and weight, 73.9 percent of University students fall into a healthy BMI range. That figure for college students nationally is 61.8 percent.
Brede also offered advice to students who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"My recommendation is essentially balance and moderation," Brede said. "Be active most days, and activity does include walking around. In terms of nutrition, it's eat regular meals and snacks, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Practicing those sorts of things are the keys to maintaining a healthy weight"
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