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The Dorm Room Diet: The Fittest Colleges in America

Posted December 4, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health, His Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Diets

People say that the average college freshman gains ten pounds their first year. How is this possible? Men’s Fitness took a survey this year to find the twenty-five fittest colleges in the nation, which turned out to yield some valuable information that can benefit the frat guy to the linebacker. What colleges made the cut, how did they do it, and what advice can they offer to help you stay in shape?

Men’s Fitness graded results from a survey of seventeen questions to calculate which schools have the fittest students and why. The questions fell into the following categories: intake, behavior, school offerings, and campus culture. Some sample questions include: “How many fast-food meals (including pizza) do you eat per week,” “How many hours a day do you spend doing sedentary activities (besides studying),” and “Does your school have a physical fitness requirement for non-varsity athlete undergraduates?”

A definite trend certainly exists. The schools that made the top of the list tend to have state-of-the-art athletic and fitness programs, accessible gyms, nutrition programs, and less fast-food joints on campus. It is no surprise that military colleges meet the top of the list due to weight and fitness requirements and courses needed involving physical activity. Cadet Second Class Yoshio Adachi says, “I completed a freefall parachute program and earned my jump wings my sophomore year at the Air Force Academy. How many other colleges allow you to do that?”

While the colleges with great nutrition programs and well-equipped gyms have more physically fit students, students without well-equipped gyms and too many fast food options are getting fatter. The main thing responsible for weight gain in college students is what Men’s Fitness calls the Dorm Room Diet. What can students do to avoid the typical college diet?

First, always eat breakfast. People always say it is the most important meal of the day. The reason is because breakfast jump starts your metabolism and gives you the energy you need to make it through the day. Men’s Fitness recommends whole-wheat toast or high fiber cereal.

Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Pizza, burgers, and fries are some of the most popular foods consumed by college students. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet will add plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs, which helps to boost your metabolism.

Limit the amount of Easy Mac, ramen noodles, and TV dinners you eat. While these things are cheap and fast, they are extremely fattening, with high amounts of calories and saturated fat. Try making a sandwich or take some fruit with you if you are on the go.

Snack smart. Keep your apartment, dorm room, or house stocked with healthier snacks, such as granola bars, trail mix, and light popcorn. This will help prevent you from getting so famished that you end up binging at the drive through or a vending machine.

Drink light beer and cocktails. We all know that college students love their beer, but stick to light beers, rum and diet cokes, or vodka and tonics. The calories add up quick on the full-flavored drinks. Men’s Fitness also has a drink of the month that is low in calories. Also, do not over-indulge on the weekends. The calories in light beer will also add up rapidly.

Avoid fancy coffee, such as Frappuccinos and Machiatos. Flavored drinks can have as much as 600 calories, depending on what you add to your coffee. If you are a flavored coffee lover, stick with skim lattés, which have far less calories.

The most important thing a college student can do is avoiding late-night munchies. Studies have found that food consumed between 8:00pm and 4:00am add about 20% of your total calorie intake. For every 100 calories that you consume during these hours, you can gain about a quarter pound or more.

Going away to college does not mean you have to leave your abs behind. With sensible eating habits, your body does not need to know when you graduated high school. Even if you attend one of the fattest colleges in America, you don’t have to look like you do. Everyone knows that college students are busy and always on the go, grabbing a quick bite of fast food between classes, staying dormant by studying, and pulling all-nighters before big exams. But, by eating right and exercising for only a short thirty minutes a day, you can maintain a healthy weight well into adulthood.

Research sources and for more information: [Mens Fitness]; [picture]

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Tags: breakfast, college, dorm room diet, fast food, fiber, fitness, fitness facilities, fruit, gym, overweight, stationary behavior, vegetables

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