Most students begin their university in fear of the usual freshman weight gain that is on their mind. Experts at the UA have some suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim of those freshman 15.

The freshman 15 is the 15-pound weight gain most freshman experience during their first year attending a university.

"It is not necessarily a food issue," said Lynne Smiley, Ph.D., nutrition coordinator at UA Student Health. "Some students eat more and some eat less, but the only consistent finding is that they don't get enough sleep."

Smiley, who did her Ph.D. dissertation on freshman weight gain, said appetite and food intake increase with sleep depravation.

Residence halls, where many freshman live, are one of the hardest places to get enough sleep, Smiley said.

"In residence halls, you're also dealing with pizza and popcorn on a regular basis," Smiley said. "To smell food and want some is normal, natural human behavior."

"Eat normal, but less. If you know there's going to be pizza later in the evening, make room for it by eating smaller portions during the day," Smiley said. "You can eat all the bagels, pretzels and fruit you want. You'll be stuffed and hungry."

Smiley said to not avoid fat.

Fat is the nutrient that tells your brain you are full, Smiley said. She said eating some fat every four to six hours makes the body feel satisfied.

Students can make choices about food, exercise, and sleep, Smiley said.

"No matter how good or bad the food is, they assume college will make them gain weight," Smiley said.

Many students transfer authority to the college campus and hold the school responsible for weight they could gain, Smiley said.

It is important to participate is some physical activity, said Sue Benner-Hughes, assistant director of campus recreation.

Benner-Hughes recommends choosing activities that a student likes, so he or she will be more apt to stick with them.

"A lot of people think they have to work out for an hour for it to be effective, but that's not true," Benner-Hughes said.

An all or nothing attitude is a setup for failure, Benner-Hughes said.

"An hour on the stair climber is not the only way to keep fit," she said.

The Department of Campus Recreation offers a variety of classes. Aside from regular aerobics and weight training classes, there are classes in yoga, sport conditioning, aqua-aerobics, boxing aerobics, and Capoeria, a Brazilian form of martial art.

It is important not to be overly concerned with your weight, Smiley said. Some students' method of dieting is to not eat all day. She said that by evening, they are so hungry they eat more than they need.

"Put the whole thing into perspective. If you gain a few pounds, it's not the end of the world," Benner-Hughes said. "It is very possible weight gain is the result of the growing and maturing your body has left to do."