The Freshman 15 Myth: Why Weight Gain in College Isn't the Problem You Think It Is

Are you worried about coming home from college after gaining weight? Are you currently receiving acceptance letters for college, but feeling drowned in the comments about making sure you don’t gain the “Freshman 15?”

Before you even step foot on campus, you've probably already heard the warning: "Watch out for the Freshman 15." It gets repeated so casually, by parents, by friends, by wellness blogs, that it starts to sound like fact. But I want to push back on this a little, because I think the Freshman 15 narrative causes real harm, and nobody talks about that part.

Let's talk about what the research actually says, why this myth persists, and more importantly  what I think we should be paying attention to instead.

First: Is the "Freshman 15" Even Real?

Not really, no. The research consistently shows that while some weight change occurs for some students, the average is much lower than 15 pounds and plenty of students experience little to no change at all. The "15" has been significantly exaggerated over time.

Here's the thing that often gets left out of this conversation: some degree of body change during late adolescence and early adulthood is biologically normal. Bodies are still developing through the late teens and early twenties. Weight fluctuation during this time is not a sign that something has gone wrong. It's a sign that you’re body is doing what it is supposed to do. 

Why the Myth Is More Harmful Than Helpful

Here's where I get a little fired up, because this is something I see the consequences of regularly in my work with clients. When "don't gain the Freshman 15" becomes a guiding principle for how a young person navigates food in college, it can set off a really harmful chain of events.

That fear often leads to:

Increased restriction and dieting

Anxiety and hypervigilance around food choices

Guilt and shame around totally normal, social eating experiences

A distorted relationship with the body that can persist long after graduation

In some cases, the development of disordered eating or a clinical eating disorder

And here's the part that feels almost ironic: dieting is one of the strongest predictors of developing an eating disorder. The very thing that gets framed as "prevention" (watching your weight, restricting, staying vigilant) is actually a significant risk factor for the exact problems we're trying to avoid. We live in a society that is so fearful of any type of weight gain, but in reality restriction and dieting leads to more weight gain in the long run! I am whole-heartedly a weight-inclusive provider who believes that there is nothing wrong with weight gain, but when the one thing that people promise will help you lose weight actually causes weight gain we have to call it out.

What's Actually Worth Paying Attention to in Your First Year

College is one of the biggest transitions a person can go through. For many students, it's the first time they're making all of their own food decisions, managing stress without their usual support systems, navigating wildly irregular schedules, and figuring out who they are. That's a lot.

In my experience, the food-related patterns worth paying attention to aren't about weight, they're about what's going on underneath.

Things like:

Eating in response to stress, anxiety, or loneliness rather than hunger

Skipping meals because of a packed schedule, then feeling out of control around food later

Using restriction as a way to feel in control when everything else feels uncertain

Comparing what you're eating (or not eating) to your roommates or peers

Feeling significant guilt or shame after eating

These patterns matter, not because of what they might do to your weight, but because they're signals from your nervous system that something needs attention.

A Different Question to Ask Yourself

Instead of "how do I avoid gaining weight?", what if the question was "how do I build a healthy relationship with food during one of the most stressful and exciting transitions of my life?"

That reframe can change everything.

Here's what I'd encourage instead:

Work on eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're satisfied and full. This sounds simple, but for many people who've spent years following diet rules, reconnecting with your body's signals takes real practice and patience. I want to acknowledge that this might not be possible for people, especially people who are neurodivergent. Setting alarms to remind yourself to eat regularly throughout the day might also be beneficial. Eating when you are not hungry, but have a 3 hour lab up next that you’re not allowed to eat in is actually a beneficial way to take care of your health. 

Make peace with all foods. Labeling foods as "good" or "bad" gives the "bad" foods enormous psychological power and sets up the restrict-binge cycle that I work with clients to untangle every day.

Find ways to manage stress that don't involve food or restriction. Movement you actually enjoy, sleep, connection, time outside, having a range of coping strategies is the goal. 

Notice how you feel, not just how you look. Energy levels, mood, focus, and sleep are far better measures of how well you're caring for yourself than the number on the scale.

When It Might Be Time to Talk to Someone

If food, eating, or your body is taking up a significant amount of mental space, if you're skipping meals, bingeing, over-exercising, or feeling intense guilt after eating please don't brush that off as a normal part of college life. It might be, but it also might be telling you something important.

Many colleges have counseling centers with therapists who have some training in eating concerns. If you want more specialized support, working with a therapist outside of campus can also give you consistency of care that doesn't end when the semester does.

Your body is not the problem. And you deserve to go through college, the dining hall chaos, the late-night pizza, the birthday cakes, all of it without food being a source of fear.

-Carianne D'Oriano, Licensed Professional Counselor

If you're looking for more support, reach out to book a free consultation with me!