With the fall semester back in full swing, the daily stress of college life for an incoming freshman can take a toll on eating habits.
UH Wellness Center staff is trying to help students avoid the common 15-pound weight gain that students experience during their first semester of college.
Ose Okojie, a health senior and executive adviser of the UH Wellness program, said that the stress of classes and personal life are the most common reasons for weight gain in students.
"Feeding your feelings from the stress of a boyfriend (or) girlfriend will cause you to gain weight," Okojie said. "If your boyfriend breaks up with you, call your girlfriend about it, not a bag of Oreo cookies."
The Wellness Center offered the workshop, "Avoid the Freshman 15: Nutrition and Exercise," on Thursday to raise awareness among students to prevent unnecessary weight gain.
Another bad habit students have is not getting enough sleep, which can result in weight gain, Okojie said.
"A University of Chicago study shows that people are more likely to be obese if you do not get seven hours of sleep at night," he said.
Okojie recommends getting at least six to eight hours of sleep a night and to block off an allotted time for sleep if it will help get you into bed.
Freshmen and other students who live on campus also tend to eat at night, he said.
Okojie said that weight gain is not related to the time you eat, but what you eat late at night.
Hotel and restaurant management freshman Aurora Krog said she doesn’t have a problem maintaining a healthy diet, but feels that her food options are limited on campus.
"The only healthy places at the (University Center) are Subway, and sometimes I get a salad from Wendy’s, but that’s really all I can have," she said. "Plus, I’m a really picky eater, so the only other thing I may eat is some plain pasta from Chili’s."
Okojie gave suggestions such as eating less fattening, healthier foods and alternatives to the unhealthy campus offerings.
"The more colorful our plate is, the better," he said.
Darker greens, orange veggies and a variety of fruits are key to a balanced diet, Okojie said. He also suggests grilled and baked lean meats versus the typical fatty fried foods.
Okojie suggests bringing a lunch instead of frequenting fast food restaurants.
"Pack a lunch. Just by changing the way you eat will change how much you sleep and your lifestyle," he said.
Civil engineering freshman Ashley Beall has been taking the proper measures to eat healthy and save some money while on campus.
"My mom has been a little concerned about me gaining the freshman 15, but I’ve been bringing my lunch to school and trying not to eat fast food, so I’m not really concerned," Beall said.
Other alternatives include drinking Gatorade or water instead of soda, eating baked chips and crackers instead of fat-filled snacks and asking for ranch dressing on the side of salads for portion control.
Okojie also suggests that students become knowledgeable about nutrition labels.
"A lot of people gain weight because they don’t know how to read the labels and don’t take serving size into consideration," he said.
Beyond eating healthy, students should take advantage of the campus’ recreation center to keep the pounds off, he said.
Students should exercise three to four times a week for 25-40 minutes depending on intensity, he said.
Okojie said although these are the standard recommendations, any effort is a step forward.
"I haven’t made it to the gym yet, but I know they offer some really cool things like a rock wall, so I hope to go over there soon," Beall said.
Beyond exercise facilities, the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center offers weekly workshops on student health and social issues.
More information is available at www.las.uh.edu/wc.
