Share

Is higher education making you fat?

A new study published in the journal  Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (APNM) looks beyond the much-feared weight gain common to first-year students and reports on the full four-year impact of higher education on weight, BMI, and body composition.

"Gropper et al. present a unique study that follows students through their undergraduate years. It documents the nature of the weight gain and shows the differences between males and females,” says Susan Whiting, a professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Saskatchewan.

“While dozens of studies have investigated weight gain during the freshman year of college and have reported on the so called “freshman 15” (the commonly held belief that students gain an average of 15 lbs their first year of college), our study is the first to examine changes in weight, body mass index, body composition, and body shape over the four-year college period,” explains Sareen Gropper, a co-author of the study and researcher at Auburn University in Alabama.

How the study was done

The study followed 131 college students from the beginning of their first year to the end of their senior year. After 4 years in college about 70% of students had gained weight, which averaged at 5.3 kg, males gained significantly more weight, percent body fat , and BMI than females;  and the percentage of participants considered overweight or obese increased from 18% to 31%.

“College and university students are often living away from home; they do not have a parent grocery shopping or preparing food for them.  They can be distracted from their health by their studies and by extracurricular activities,” says Terry Graham, Editor of APNM, and a professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph.

“While one can alter their body composition at anytime by tipping the balance of energy intake and expenditure, this investigation demonstrates how important the years of early adulthood can be in this aspect. After 4 years, the changes are quite substantial even though the daily, weekly, and even monthly responses are subtle.  This study highlights that students need to make healthy choices and also that the institutions need to take steps to facilitate these decisions.”

Gropper agrees, “Our findings clearly suggest the need for additional campus-based health promotion strategies for students from the freshman year through their senior year of college.”

What do you eat at your University of college? Email us and share your stories to community@heath24.com

 

(EurekAlert, September 2012)

Read more: 

10 tips for first year students

Students in the gym

Calculate your BMI

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE