A cascade of double chocolate chip cookies, burgers with the works, fries rescued from a bubbling pot of oil and pre-portioned entrees attack the senses upon entry to the Betty Hutton Dining Colonnade. With just a swipe of an ID card, students are guaranteed repeated entry into an all-you-can-eat cafeteria, where portion control is difficult, students say.

Each year, as college freshmen flood the dining halls and rarely frequent the campus gym, excess pounds appear. The infamous Freshman 15 may be an overstatement of the true amount of weight that first-year college students gain, experts say, but the typical 5 to 6 pound weight gain is still an issue for students.

"For the first time, students are having to balance meals without mom," said Dani Smith, director of Proactive Education Encouraging Responsibility and Health Education.

Students agree that the unhealthy temptations in college cafeterias are more easily given into without attentive parents regulating the amount, frequency and time that certain foods are eaten.

"A bunch of students are used to their parents constantly watching over them, giving them proper portions, and making sure that what they eat is healthy," said junior Jeannie D'Agostino, Associated Students' Health and Fitness director.

Another factor associated with weight gain among students is consuming empty calories late at night, according to Smith. Making fast food pit stops, ordering in pizza and consuming more beer and other types of alcohol than usual all lead to storage of excess fat.


According to Smith, students believe that their bodies will continue to be forgiving and resilient later in life.

"The party-hardy, eat, drink and be merry idea is a myth," she said.

Many students who try to be weight conscious reach for the shots of straight alcohol instead of high-calorie beers, which have long been associated with beer-bellies of overweight men.

"But students forget that there are empty calories in shots as well," said Smith.

Physiological psychology professor Deborah Maher agreed that increased alcohol consumption is one of two major reasons that college freshmen gain weight. For Maher, increased stress is the other factor that causes students to experience battles with their weight. In her classes, Maher teaches her students about the relationships between emotion, stress, health and eating.

Her number one tip for students under stress: sleep more.

"[Students] absolutely must set a sleep time and keep it regardless of looming papers and tests," said Maher. "If they know they can't stay up until 3 a.m. to study, they are less likely to procrastinate in studying or preparing because that time is just not an option for studying."

According to Ed Fox, associate director of the Student Psychological Counseling Services, adjusting to a new lifestyle, living arrangement and daily schedule all cause stress. Not getting adequate sleep only makes things worse.

"Lack of rest increases stress levels in the body, changes metabolism, and increases the likelihood of weight gain," he said.

Students who are stressed often go for several hours without eating, making them more likely to overeat once they finally have a meal. Chronic starvation also lowers metabolism, said Maher. Sleep deprivation causes the body to produce more hormones that signal hunger, even though the body doesn't really need more food.

Smith cites five times in a college student's life when stress levels are the highest: first going away to school, midterms, finals, holidays and graduation.

"Stress is a part of college life," said Smith. "Now is the time to build healthy coping skills."

Sophomore Audrey O'Neill, who played soccer and track in high school, exercises to cope with everyday stress.

"It took me a while to get a routine down," said O'Neill, an athletic training major. "I need to study more [than in high school], but I let myself have the hour to work out."

While Smith, Fox, and Maher cite exercising as a stress management technique, Fox points out that physical activity is a protective factor against weight gain.

"In high school, it's a lot easier to get into sports and be in shape," said D'Agostino, who was on her high school's swimming and lacrosse teams.

When she came to college, D'Agostino decided not to join a sport but soon realized that she needed to start incorporating physical activity back into her life.

"I was personally going crazy because [exercising] keeps me sane," said D'Agostino. "You go for a run and then you can come back and write that paper."

As the AS Director of Health and Fitness, D'Agostino stresses that getting in shape doesn't have to come from a gym workout. She is planning a hiking trip for all students at Joshua Tree National Park in late October. The AS director will soon offer weekly yoga and cardio classes in the Henley Basement, taught by David Clawson, owner of the martial arts center Pa-Kua located on the outskirts of the Orange Plaza.

Sophomore soccer player Bridget Thomson said that she was able to manage her weight during her break from soccer in her freshman year of college because being active is habitual.

"I find that I eat more when I'm playing a sport, but it's all about balance because I'm working it off," said Thompson. "I've basically stayed the same size since the eighth grade."

Smith, along with other faculty members, used to run with Dean of Students Emeritus Joe Kertes to and from W.O. Hart Park, about 1.5 miles away, during lunch. For her, building a healthy exercise regime is a part of her life-long plan.

"I want to be 70 and still be able to run. I want to be 75 and be able to go 30 minutes on the elliptical," said Smith.

Whether students have gained 5 or 15 pounds, the negative psychological effects can be similar. Weight gain disrupts cognitive performance, inhibits social interaction and lowers body image and self-esteem, said Maher.

Although not all students face weight issues, it is important to maintain a healthy balance of exercise, eating right and managing stress, whether through yoga, hiking, listening to relaxing music or meditating, experts say.

However, those who daily brave the cafeteria of sweets, fats and unnecessary oils, find it difficult to make the healthy choice to head for the salad bar, or frequent the cookie display only occasionally. And the drinking, partying atmosphere is hard to escape or manage for some.

"I hear a lot of people say, 'Once I graduate, I'll stop this,'" said Smith. "But the habits that we put into place in college will follow us, for better or for worse, into the future."