Learn how to nourish your body, honor your health, and build sustainable habits—without the fear of the “Freshman Fifteen”. Read more for a weight-inclusive approach to student wellness.

Starting college is an exciting time filled with new experiences, independence, and personal growth. With these changes come adjustments to routines, eating habits, and stress levels. Many students hear about the so-called “Freshman Fifteen,” a phrase rooted in diet culture that implies weight gain is inevitable—and something to fear. However, your college experience should be about so much more than worrying about a number on the scale.

Years ago, when I first wrote about the Freshman Fifteen, I was still new at this dietetics thing and I didn’t fully understand the impact of diet culture or how my words might contribute to anxiety around food, body image, and weight. I now realize that messages centered on avoiding weight gain can unintentionally promote restrictive eating, guilt, and an unhealthy relationship with food. As I continue learning and growing as a nutrition professional, I want to do better. This updated post reflects a weight-inclusive, compassionate approach to college health—one that prioritizes nourishment, well-being, and self-care—and the way I conduct my nutrition counseling sessions these days, especially in my role as campus dietitian at Lehman College’s Student Health Center.

Ditch the Diet Mentality

Diet culture promotes the idea that thinness equals health and worth, which can lead to restrictive eating, guilt around food, and an unhealthy relationship with your body [1]. Instead of fixating on weight, try shifting your focus to how you feel. Are you energized? Are you getting enough nutrients to fuel your busy days? Are you honoring your hunger and fullness cues? These are much better indicators of well-being than a number on a scale.

Want even better advice? Throw away your scale completely.

Build Balanced Eating Habits (Without the Guilt)

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” think about how different foods support your body in different ways. This is a regular conversation I have with so many of my patients at the Student Health Center. For some reason, they have been told that their traditional foods, for example, rice-based dishes, are unhealthy. While some cooking or preparation methods might be less health-supportive than others, there is never a need to vilify someone’s eating habits, especially when foods may be so closely tied to someone’s identity or culture.

If you know anything about macronutrients, some foods—usually carbohydrates—provide quick energy, while others—like lean proteins and healthy fats—help keep you full longer while also stabilizing blood sugars, and supporting brain function. Aim for balance by including a mix of all three, including a decent amount of fiber, in your meals. And remember—enjoying pizza with friends or grabbing late-night snacks is part of the college experience, too!

Whether you live on or off campus, are just starting out on your own, or are a returning older adult student, there are many resources to help you plan your meals in a realistic and affordable way, like the ones on MyPlate Campus.

And to learn more about honoring and respecting your cultural foods, wherever you are, check out our webinar below:

Stay Active in a Way That Feels Good

Movement isn’t only about burning calories; it’s about finding activities that bring you joy and make you feel strong. Whether it’s dancing, yoga, intramural sports, or simply walking around campus, moving your body in a way that feels good can help manage stress, boost energy, and improve overall well-being.

Physical activity is essential for everyone’s health, helping us improve our cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and flexibility, especially as we age where our body naturally starts deteriorating and relies on our disciplines and lifestyles to maintain its muscle mass and bone density.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that healthy adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week. More importantly, we’ve come to learn that sedentary activities (like watching TV or playing video games, sitting at a computer for hours on end, or traveling over long periods of time) can increase our risks of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis depression. Being sedentary can also negatively impact our mental health as well [2].

Keeping in mind that not every college-goer is under 22 years old, or without physical disabilities, it’s important to customize what works best for you. For example, these tailored walking programs and wheelchair-based exercises can be personalized to fit individual mobility levels and promote cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone.

Prioritize Sleep and Stress Management

College life can be overwhelming, and lack of sleep or high stress can take a toll on both your physical and mental health. (I’m looking at you, exam crammers!) Establishing a sleep routine, taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and setting boundaries with social and academic commitments can help create balance and reduce burnout. Not to mention that sleep—and stress—are often overlooked but play significant roles in brain health. Poor sleep disrupts the clearance of toxins from the brain, including beta-amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease, while chronic stress exacerbates inflammation and impairs cognitive function [3].

Improving your sleep hygiene, your environment, and habits before bed and throughout the day, can positively affect your sleep quality and quantity. Consider strategies such as mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and setting regular bedtime routines to help you create a plan for better sleep and stress management. The last thing you want is to have come this far in your college career only to end up with a low GPA or failing grades because you’re not taking care of your sleep habits.

Learn more about sleep here.

Challenge Misinformation About Food and Health

With social media and campus conversations, it’s easy to come across conflicting and sometimes harmful nutrition advice [4]. Social media creates a sense of personal connection with influencers, making it easier to be influenced by the content they share—especially when it features thin, toned bodies and “healthy” eating. Seeing these images repeatedly can make certain body types or diets seem more “natural” or desirable than they really are. I see plenty of students who share with me that they are following wellness accounts online that encourage them to skip breakfast, only drink coffee, or do a juice “cleanse”, which makes me both incredibly angry and very, very sad. The last thing I want is for anyone to end up with a dysfunctional, unrealistic, and unsustainable relationship with food.

Since social media rewards likes and engagement, idealized bodies and trendy diets often get more visibility, reinforcing the idea that they are the standard for health and attractiveness [5]. This can lead to the objectification of bodies, where they are viewed more as images to be judged rather than as real, diverse human bodies. Be mindful of where you get your information, and don’t hesitate to seek guidance from a registered dietitian or campus health professional if you have concerns about nutrition or well-being.

Focus on Self-Compassion

Your body will change throughout your life for many reasons, and that’s normal. Instead of being critical of yourself, practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend. Nourishing yourself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—is the best way to thrive in college and beyond.

By shifting the conversation away from weight and toward overall wellness, you can foster a healthier and more positive college experience for yourself and those around you. Your worth is not determined by your size, and taking care of yourself should be about feeling your best—not conforming to unrealistic standards.

If you or someone you know seems to be struggling with disordered eating or looking for additional guidance, please know that you are not alone and there are resources available to help you:

• Nutrition Education Beyond Weight: This curriculum was developed to educate others on adopting a weight-neutral approach towards health, filling a void in health education at colleges and universities.
• Healthy Diets for College Students: This article provides tips for maintaining a balanced diet during college, emphasizing the importance of regular meals and nutritious food choices.
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): NEDA offers resources, support, and guidance for individuals affected by eating disorders. They provide screening tools, educational materials, and a helpline for those seeking assistance.
• Eating Recovery Center: This center provides tips and resources specifically for college students managing eating disorders, including strategies for navigating the challenges of campus life while in recovery.
• BestColleges.com – Resources for Students With Eating Disorders: This guide offers information on recognizing eating disorders, understanding their impact, and accessing support services available to college students.
• The Emily Program: This resource examines eating disorders in college students, including potential risk factors, warning signs, and tools for screening and intervention.

Lastly, many colleges also offer on-campus resources such as counseling centers, nutrition services, and support groups. Being one of those resources myself at Lehman College, I highly encourage students to reach out to their institution’s health services to learn about available support options. After all, your tuition or student fees are mostly paying for these, so you might as well take advantage of them.

References

1. Regis College Online. (2020, November 9). Eating Disorders in College Students | Regis College Online. Regis College Online. https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/eating-disorders-in-college-students
2. ‌Park, J. H., Moon, J. H., Kim, H. J., Kong, M. H., & Oh, Y. H. (2020). Sedentary lifestyle: Overview of updated evidence of potential health risks. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 41(6), 365–373. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.20.0165
3. ‌Spira, A. P., Chen-Edinboro, L. P., Wu, M. N., & Yaffe, K. (2014). Impact of sleep on the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Current opinion in psychiatry, 27(6), 478–483. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000106
4. Munro, E., Wells, G., Paciente, R., Wickens, N., Ta, D., Mandzufas, J., Lombardi, K., & Woolard, A. (2024). Diet culture on TikTok: a descriptive content analysis. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980024001381
5. Dane, A., & Bhatia, K. (2023). The Social Media diet: a Scoping Review to Investigate the Association between Social media, Body Image and Eating Disorders Amongst Young People. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091