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Don’t schedule eight AM lessons. Talk along with your roommate. Wash your bedding commonly. Incoming school college students are provided quite a few items of recommendation earlier than stepping onto campus. Arguably, some of the widespread is to watch out for the “freshman 15.” However why is weight achieve amongst first-year college students so common that it has earned such a infamous status?
An interdisciplinary analysis workforce led by Y. Alicia Hong, who research cellular and wearable applied sciences and professor within the Division of Well being Administration and Coverage, discovered that the faculty setting lends itself to habits that enhance meals consumption and subsequent weight achieve. The examine is revealed within the journal mHealth.
“Social and environmental factors are key determinants of eating behavior. College students are affected by the eating environment, especially where they eat and whom they eat with. Our research found that they consume more calories when eating in groups or formal dining settings,” stated Hong.
Over the course of 4 weeks, school college students self-recorded day by day consuming behaviors, setting, and temper and stress ranges utilizing a cellular app. App-logged responses indicated contributors eat extra when in teams of two or extra and in places comparable to eating halls or eating places. Conversely, meals consumption was much less when alone or at house.
Faculty college students are unaware of their consuming habits, findings recommend. Evaluation revealed that college students’ perceptions of their meals consumption didn’t align with the caloric consumption logged. Elements associated to gender and emotion additionally contributed to the advanced nature of dietary conduct.
“College students’ eating behaviors are complex, with individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors interacting to influence dietary intake. This research underscores the importance of context in dietary intervention and incorporating digital tools for dietary assessment,” stated Hong.
The analysis workforce included Distinguished College Professor within the Division of Vitamin and Meals Research Larry Cheskin, Affiliate Professor within the Division of Well being Administration and Coverage Hong Xue, and MS Well being Informatics graduate Jo-Vivian Yu.
Extra data:
Y. Alicia Hong et al, The dynamics of consuming behaviors and consuming setting in school college students: discrepancies between app-tracked dietary consumption and self-perceived meals consumption, mHealth (2025). DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-24-102
Offered by
George Mason College
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Why is the ‘freshmen 15’ phenomenon so widespread? (2025, November 4)
retrieved 4 November 2025
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