Freshmen are in for good news: the weight gain due to the notorious freshman fifteen during a student’s first year at college may perhaps be a myth.

“The freshman fifteen is a concept or an idea in which people believe freshmen put on an additional fifteen pounds,” Keith Harris, assistant professor at the Department of Food, Bioprocessing  and Nutrition Sciences, said. “I followed this up by reading close to ten studies. They say the weight gain is somewhere between three to seven pounds  only.”

Frightening as it sounds, the term ‘freshman fifteen’ is not an accurate description of the dreaded weight gain most freshmen experience. “The term is still in use maybe because ‘freshman five’ does not sound as interesting as ‘freshman fifteen,'” Harris said.

“There are two common causes for this weight gain: decreased physical activity and an increased alcohol intake,” Harris said. “Alcohol has the same amount of calories as fat — seven calories per gram. Moreover, because of the liquid form, your body is less satisfied by it, and so doesn’t realize the quantity consumed.”

A sudden change in the student’s environment upon entering the college atmosphere is a factor as well.

“Not everyone has the skill sets to cook for themselves when they are away from home attending college,” Suzie  Goodell , assistant professor of food,  bioprocessing  and nutrition, said. “When they go out to eat, it’s natural for them to consume large calories. Socialization is another reason for this weight gain. When in a social setting, everyone tends to over eat. Stress is another factor.”

In this case, men are hit the hardest. Relatively speaking, men tend to put on more weight than women. “While women take cues from their friends on diets, men rarely do,” Harris said.

In the end it all comes down to making smarter choices.

“If you are to choose between a salad or a sandwich, I would recommend taking some time off to learn what goes into those foods before eating,”  Goodell  said. “Don’t just grab and go.”