The Real Cause of the 'Freshman 15'

The debate has been going on for years. Is it normal or should you be concerned about the freshman 15. The freshman 15 is a term known for the around fifteen or plus pounds a typical college student gains during their first year of college. The usual argument is that college students are unprepared for life on their own and that once they have control they make eating healthy their last priority. However, an article from the Huffington Post suggests otherwise; that in fact it is not the students fault but the schools and their overwhelming smorgasbord of unhealthy food choices.

When you walk into the student union or the Keathly University Center some of the first things to catch your eye will be Panda Express, Chik Fil A and a few other chain restaurants as long with many small stores with and endless supply of snacks. These are the choices allowed to the students on campus. Where many live on campus and do not have transportation, or they do not have the financial support to go out, so they are forced to dine on campus. While it is any kids dream to have a famous chain restaurant like McDonald’s in their backyard the practicality of such is slim to none, but with the advances society has made it is not only a possibility but a way of life on a college campus. An alternative to these food choices should be available for students. Fast food is not healthy food and right now our health is a big factor in our grades. If you want to be successful in school than you have to make sure all other aspects of your life are also in order, your health being one of the most important. According to the Huffington Post they do not have enough healthy choices for us to choose from. If you give an eighteen year old the option to choose between a ...

... middle of paper ...

...much as we claim to be grown we still make a lot of mistakes and when the opportunity to mess up presents itself we will probably take it without hesitation.

In conclusion the moral of this story is simple- colleges should take more responsibility and initiative when it comes to the food choices and the health of their students. The college needs to offer better food choices in their dining areas. The hours of operation should be between normal eating hours so the option to eat at an unusual or indecent hour is obsolete, and proportions should be strictly regulated and enforced. While most would argue that it is the students fault for gaining weight, I believe the facts presented are obvious in pointing you in the other direction. The school has all of the power and needs to address this issue accordingly before the epidemic becomes bigger than what we can handle.