When university students return home after their first year of school, many pack more than the beginnings of a college education and free credit card T-shirts - the dreaded freshman 15.
The weight gain is caused by adjusting to new eating environments, excess calories and lack of exercise, said Linda Hutchins, a nutritionist at the Student Health Center.
Freshman Aubree Baca said fast food and stress from school probably contribute to the freshman 15. She said she knows people who gained the weight during their first years in college who are now fuller around the face and waist.
"Guys who join frats and stuff drink all kinds of beer; I've seen it happen to them too," she said making a gesture of a big belly.
Baca said she isn't worried about gaining weight. Her eating schedule usually begins with breakfast made by her mom, followed by a bagel for lunch and sometimes a light dinner after work, she said. Since school began, her exercise routine consists of walking to and from her classes and sitting on the grass, she said.
Hutchins said consuming too many calories and not expending enough of them is the main reason for weight gain.
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"The answer is to either decrease the amount of calories that we eat or expend more calories, I think it works better to do a combination of both - to increase the exercise as well as watching what you eat," she said.
She attributes the freshman 15 to students entering new dining situations and environments.
"Their food is more in their control rather then at home where their parents control them and they are trying to figure out, `Now, how do I eat?'" she said.
Brock Johnson, a senior advertising major, said he has seen some women gain weight but hasn't gained any himself. Johnson said he eats three meals a day and works out daily.
"I have tried to gain weight but it just doesn't stay on me," he said.
Greg Yturralde, a junior at UNM, said since his freshmen year, he has lost weight but isn't as toned as he used to be.
"I was in shape when I came to college and now I have a beer belly," he said.
Yturralde said his daily routine consists of eating lunch at a restaurant such as McDonalds, maybe eating dinner at home, having a few beers and going to bed.
Hutchins said food is more available and is used more socially on college campuses, where students meet for dinner and eat even if they're not hungry.
"Think about what you're eating," Hutchins said.
Hutchins is available for counseling by appointment at the Student Health Center on Tuesdays for $15. She said she sees students for various reasons ranging from diabetes and high blood pressure to weight loss and weight gain.
