Is the Freshman 15 real?
The 'Freshman 15' is a myth because most college students only gain about 2 or 3 pounds during their first year.
While many people think college students gain 15 pounds from cafeteria food and stress, it is usually much less. In fact, one out of every four students actually loses weight because they walk so much more on big campuses!
Nerd's Section
The phrase 'Freshman 15' first appeared in Seventeen magazine in 1989, but scientists have found it isn't really true. A major study by researcher Jay Zagorsky from Ohio State University looked at over 7,000 people to find the truth. He discovered that women gained about 2.4 pounds and men gained about 3.4 pounds during their first year of college.The study also looked at young people who did not go to college and started working instead. It turns out those young adults gained almost the exact same amount of weight. This means that gaining a few pounds is just a natural part of growing up from a teenager into an adult. It happens to almost everyone regardless of whether they are studying or working.Other researchers looked at 22 different studies and found the same results. While some students do gain more weight, it is very rare for someone to gain a full 15 pounds. Many students actually get more exercise than they did in high school because they have to walk between large buildings all day. The myth stays popular because people tend to notice the few people who change a lot while ignoring the millions of people who stay the same.
Verified Fact
FP-0000464 · Feb 25, 2026