Diabetic Digest - Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Readers:

I remember when I was in my freshmen year of college an my fellow students would talk about the dreaded "freshmen 15" like it was the bubonic plague.

I never really gained weight during my college career, mostly because I was more active than I had ever been before in my life. With work and school making up around 15 hours of my day, 5 days per week, whatever I had a chance eat was quickly used up to keep me going.

I always thought that the "freshmen 15" was just something else to get under the collective skin of the incoming freshmen class. Now, according to new research the whole thing might just be a myth. (read about it below)

Between you and me, I didn't gain any weight until after I graduated from college. I'm curious to see what researchers find out about "post-grad weight gain". I'm sure that's not a myth.

Regards,
Steve

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Questions? Comments? Email Steve


*-- Diabetic Research --*
'Freshman 15': Weight Gain a Myth Researchers Say International Business Time

The "freshmen 15" - the widely reported 15 pounds that students gain in their first college year - may be just a myth, according to a nationwide survey.

Instead, the research found that the "freshman 15" is closer to "freshman 2.5 to 3.5", the range of pounds that freshmen gain, according to research in the December 2011 issue of the journal Social Science Quarterly.

"The 'freshman 15' is a media myth," said Jay Zagorsky, co-author of the study and research scientist at Ohio State University's Center for Human Resource Research.

Many mainstream media, websites and social media sites still quote the "freshman 15" dilemma, even though previous studies showed that the average weight gain was closer to 7 pounds.

"The causes of the freshman 15 may seem to be common sense for many people, but others struggle to understand why they gain so much weight during the first year at a college or university," reports the "Freshman 15" website that gives tips a forum for students to share their weight gain stories.

But some scientists think that drilling "freshman 15" into the heads of college newcomers could be more damaging than good.

"Repeated use of the phrase 'the freshman 15,' even if it is being used just as a catchy, alliterative figure of speech, may contribute to the perception of being over-weight, especially among young women," Zagorsky said.
"Most students don't gain large amounts of weight. And it is not college that leads to weight gain - it is becoming a young adult."

The researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a series of interviews with 7,418 people aged 13 to 17 that started in 1997. The survey includes annual follow up interviews.

"It's worth noting that while there's this focus on weight gain among freshman, we found that one in four actually lost weight," said Zagorsky who conducted the study with Patricia Smith of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Original Article: 'Freshman 15': Weight Gain a Myth Researchers Say


*-- Diabetic Recipe --*
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Servings: 18
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
cooking spray
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons spoonable brown sugar substitute
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cultured non-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potato

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking
sheet with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper).

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.

3. In a large measuring cup, combine oil, buttermilk, and mashed sweet potato.

4. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. (The dough will be quite dry).

5. Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Knead a few times and pat to 1 inch thickness rectangle about 8" x 5".

6. Dip a sharp knife in flour, then cut the dough into thirds lengthwise. Then cut each long strip into 6 equal pieces, making 18 squares in all.

7. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet.

8. Bake about 12 to 13 minutes, until tops are golden and firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information
Per biscuit: 104 calories (29% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 3 g total fat (0.4 g saturated), 16 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, trace cholesterol, 204 mg sodium

Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch), 1/2 fat

(1997 - 2011 Vertical Health LLC)

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