Written by: Mason Braasch

This summer, as I approached my first semester of college there were many worries that crowded my mind. They were basic concerns that the majority of students deal with: Will I make friends? Will I like my roommate? Will I be okay academically? Will I miss my mom? — All very normal and valid concerns. None of these concerns, however, were as consistent as the thoughts of the infamous “Freshman 15.”

I have known about the Freshman 15 (or for those of you that don't know, the extra pounds that incoming college students gain) since I was in elementary school. It was often a topic of gentle teasing or the punchline of a sitcom joke, filling my brain with the worries of the inevitable weight gain in my first year of freedom. And it turns out, I am not alone in these concerns. A quick google search brings up numerous articles claiming to know the secrets against The Freshman 15. Most of these articles promote healthy eating habits and lots of exercise but fail to include the truth: The Freshman 15 is, for the most part, a myth.

Studies have proven that on average, weight gain among freshman college students totals less than six pounds, with most individuals only gaining about two. Furthermore, individuals that did not attend college gained the same amount as those that did, suggesting that perhaps it is not the college lifestyle that is leading to weight gain, but rather, it’s just a part of growing up.

Shocking, I know. Yet, as I poured over these facts, baffled at the reality of one of my biggest worries, I had to ask that if the Freshman 15 really is a myth, why is it such a prevalent fear among college students today? An article published by the Atlantic explains that since its first mention in Seventeen magazine in 1989, the number of mentions of the Freshman 15 in popular culture has skyrocketed, only adding to the fears that I and many other students around the world experienced.

Why can’t we let this infamous trend go? Why does popular culture continue to feed into this paranoia that has been linked to eating disorders among a countless number of college students? Olga Khazan, a staff writer for the Atlantic suggests that “it might be time to retire our unfounded paranoia over a sudden bodily ballooning,” just as we have left the unflattering trends of the past.

But, maybe we don't have to completely eradicate the Freshman 15. In many cases, the gains of college can be a positive thing. Perhaps instead of counting pounds gained, we can count the gaining of friendships, new perspectives, and new interests. Maybe the Freshman 15 can turn positive, after all these years of worry and paranoia. We gain so much more than pounds in college, and what you choose to count can make all the difference.