Question

Claim: The freshmen 15 is real

Comments

This is exactly how I feel. Everyone's metabolism and how they break down food or alcohol is different. Just because some people gain weight when they get to college doesn't mean it's inevitable for every single student. Some people, such as myself, have even lost weight from walking everywhere and the REC center being a 2-minute walk away. It really depends on what you're eating and your activity level.

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I liked your explanation of why it isn't real but I think you could've included some sources to why it isn't real to backup your claim. I found once source by ASU Wellness that backups your claim to which I agree with.

Source: https://wellness.asu.edu/blog/freshman-15-fact-fiction#:~:text=However%2C%20college%20newbies%20may%20rest,freshman%20year%2C%20nowhere%20near%2015.

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This is false. The freshman 15 Is a concept created in the 80s in the U.S. to claim that every freshman entering college will gain 15 pounds in their first year. While many people do gain weight, a government study shows that people can also loose weight and most people stayed the same weight their first year in college. A decent amount of people do gain weight, men more that women, in their freshman year but the average wright gained is not 15 pounds but closer to 5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2532948/

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The freshmen 15 is a concept that has no real basis except for less healthy eating habits, more alcohol, and perhaps less physical exercise that comes with being in college.  There have been multiple studies on this and none can completely agree on one answer and it shows its completely more on the person rather then an inevitability of a person gaining 15 lbs in college.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2532948/

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You bring up a valid point. It varies from person to person.

Answer 1

Even though studies have shown an average weight gain among college freshmen, that value is only 2.7 pounds, not close to the alleged 15. Moreover, only half of college freshmen gain weight, making the claim an generalization on the whole class.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532948/

Comments

Nice job finding research on the topic, providing an explanation, and including data. For the future, please add a rating to your fact-check (see the sidebar of this page for more information).

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I really appreciate you including statistics about the realties of weight gain as a freshman, as it helps people put into perspective just how exaggerated the original claim is. Your source is also very good and upon closer reading I was able to find even more interesting statistics. One piece of data I found particularly interesting is that even when only taking account for the half that did gain weight, the average was still only 7.4 pounds, less than half of the claimed amount.

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I liked your use of statistics to fact check the claim! Your source is also very good. However, I do think your claim could be a little stronger and little more supported if you had used more sources in order to break down the claim further. While your claim is true to your source, there could be more to it that we don't know without other research and resources.

Answer 2

I am currently a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While many go to college worried about gaining weight (such as 15 pounds) during their freshman year, it is not the same for everyone. There are many ways to avoid gaining weight during one's first year of college. The link below has great tips on avoiding weight gain in college. 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/freshman-15

Comments

To write a strong fact-check, it's best to include supporting evidence that either shows the claim is true or demonstrates why it is false. Tips on how to avoid weight gain is great, but it isn't relevant to the exact claim that gaining 15 pounds during your first year in college is real. Also, don't forget to add a rating (see the sidebar for more information).

Answer 3

The freshman 15 concept is a myth. Freshman in college are able to control their eating habits and exercise goals. They have access to dining hall options and grocery stores on campuses. This claim does not apply to all people who start their freshman year of college. This concept is based off of fear and not fact. Most people gain a few pounds, but not everyone will gain 15 pounds.

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/the-freshman-15-is-a-dangerous-myth

Comments

You included a strong explanation and provided a source link. For future fact-checks, please add a rating, such as "false, misinformation" in this case.

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You included great information and kept it short but sweet. Your source is good, but I would like to see you take more details from the article and use it to fact-check. Otherwise, you did a great job!

Answer 4

The freshman 15 concept is not real, but is just commonly known because it can happen to a large group of people by coincidence. It is just a problem with a shift in lifestyle and depends on the person to adapt accordingly. I have many friends, including myself, who have lost weight in their freshman years simply because the food was unappetizing and our schedules did not allow a lot of free time for eating. On the other hand, some of my friends did gain the classic freshman 15, but it centered around other issues like high school athletes not being as active when not in college athletics.

Rating: Not entirely true

Comments

Nice job including a rating and explanation, as well as your personal experience. However, strong fact-checks involve digging deeper and finding sources (legitimate media outlets or academic research) that back your answer and rating.

Answer 5

As a third year dance major in college I would say it depends. My schedule consists of a consistent concept of exercising nonstop so even though I was gaining weight at times from my eating habits, I quickly burned it off or turned it into muscle. So it depends on the person and diet. 

For years, incoming college students have been warned about the dreaded "Freshman 15" – the extra 15 pounds that so often accompany the first year at college. But is this a myth or reality? Truth be told, it's a bit of both. The bad news is that many college freshmen can expect to gain weight. 

https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-myth-or-truth-the-freshman-15

Comments

Your fact-check includes an explanation, personal experience, and a source link. The only thing missing is a rating (see the sidebar for more information).

Answer 6

I do not think this is a fact and simply a phenomena that happens as college students move away from home and start living a new (often unhealthy) lifestyle compared to earlier. It may happen due to eating dining hall food or due to more exposure to alcohol.

Comments

To write a strong fact-check, it's best to include a clear explanation, supporting evidence that either shows the claim is true or demonstrates why it is false, as well as a rating.

Answer 7

I just now know that there is the concept of Freshman Fifteen, which really fits me when I just entered college last year, but I only gained 7 pounds a little. One of the reasons this happens is not having a good balance of school and homework with social life and the gym.

Why The Freshman 15 Is Real (theodysseyonline.com)

Comments

Nice job including an explanation, source, as well as your personal experience. However, strong fact-checks involve digging deeper and finding sources rather than blog posts, which you used. Legitimate media outlets or academic research that back your answer and rating would make for a stronger fact-check. Don't forget to add a rating next time (see the sidebar for more information).

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This is interesting to know a personal account for a comment but it is not a fact-check as there is not enough data to support a claim.

Answer 8

The concept of Freshman 15 is something that means that people come into Freshman year and gain 15 pounds. However, over time this concept has been clearly debunked as instead freshman lose weight because of their active lifestyle and modern ways of connectivity. In fact, "[a] study at Auburn University found that only 5% of freshman gained 15 pounds their first year."

Link: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-myth-or-truth-the-freshman-15#:~:text=For%20years%2C%20incoming%20college%20students,can%20expect%20to%20gain%20weight.

Comments

Nice job including a clear explanation, data from the Auburn study, and a source link. Well done. Don't forget to add a rating to your fact-checks (see the sidebar of this page). For this one, it could be "false, misinformation."

Answer 9

The Freshman 15 is not a scientifically proven concept, but rather a result of unhealthy lifestyle choices and eating behavior. Minimal weight gain in freshman may contribute to increased snacking, decreased physical activity, or larger meal portions. Research shows that while a little weight gain is normal, males tend to gain more weight than females during freshman year. Since obesity is a major problem in the United States, it is difficult to confirm through studies if the Freshman 15 is actually a risk factor during this time period.

A survey was issued to a random sample of freshman through the NCHA. About 50% of students gained an average of 7.5 lbs. There was also a weight loss average of 7.8 lbs. One-third of respondents experienced neither. There was also no correlation between weight change, race, or ethnicity. The average weight gain for the entire group was 2.7 lbs. Therefore, college freshman do gain weight, but nothing as extreme as the Freshman 15.

I found this information in a journal of the National Library of Medicine, in the National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532948/

Answer 10

Freshman 15 is primarily a myth that tends to evoke fear in freshman college students. This phenomenon stems from freshman who tend to gain a little weight due to alcohol consumption and unhealthy meals. Research shows that students, on average, gain 2-5 pounds during their first year, but rarely it is 15 pounds. Oftentimes, dorm food is considered gross, which leads college students to eat less because they can't make their own meals during the day. 

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/the-freshman-15-is-a-dangerous-myth