By: Jeffrey Larnard, Caroline Scannell, and Angela Chen

For many students at the University of Massachusetts, the idea of staying healthy and eating right may seem like a challenge as students often have a hard time staying healthy while balancing work and play.

The transition into college life can give rise to a phenomenon better known as the “Freshman 15” resulting from students’ newfound freedom to make their own diet and exercise decisions. Though the idea of the “Freshmen 15” has recently been dispelled, UMass Dining Services has undertaken a healthy eating initiative to make a number of food options available.

A recent article published this year by the Journal for American College Health by Rachel A. Vella-Zard, M.A. and Frank J. Elgar, Ph.D, as well as research done by UMass Dining Services’ dietician Diane Sutherland, suggest that despite some general weight gain, the actual weight amount is far below 15 pounds placing the average somewhere around five to seven pounds.

Nonetheless, weight fluctuations are still important health issues for college students. University Health Service’s dietician Caren Weiner weighs in on the situation reflecting on the reasons weight fluctuates for college students. In her opinion, these include adapting to a new environment and changes in diet due to eating and ordering out and an increase in alcohol intake.

Dealing with and fixing these issues is one part of being more healthy, hence, Sutherland and Weiner can both agree that it is important for students to realize that now is the time to focus on staying healthy. “It’s important for students to set goals for themselves and try to eat healthy and maintain their exercise regime, so when they do get older, this will be more of a habit rather than a forced issue,” said Sutherland.

“Food is nourishment. If you don’t eat, you’re not going to be able to think, you’re not going to be able to focus, you’re not going to be able to do your schoolwork,” said Weiner. “It goes hand-in-hand with being a good student. The healthier you are, the better you probably are going to do in school.”

In addition, research has shown that those who eat breakfast are therefore more successful. “People who tend to eat breakfast are more energetic, more creative and do better in their studies than those that don’t,” said Sutherland.

When it comes to promoting healthy eating, both Weiner and Sutherland have many ideas about what the University can do for students and what students can do for themselves.

The UMass Dining Services have made many changes behind the scenes including adjusting menu items to include healthier choices and more organic ingredients, as well as smaller portions of food and going tray-less to reduce food intake. “Students don’t even realize that we are making these healthier choices for them,” said Sutherland.

When it comes to food labeling, Dining Services makes nutrition information available for health conscious students if they seek to modify their diet in any way. But Weiner explains that she’s “glad it’s not right out written in front of the food because I think that would make people nuts if they saw all the calories right on the items.” Dining Services leaves the health decision making to the students. Their primary goal is to provide students with the options and necessary information to make healthy choices, not to force the issue.

Weiner suggests that instead of getting caught up in counting the calories of food items, students ought to just go about “feeling when you’re satisfied and eating what you want to eat and eating what looks good,” said Weiner.

“We’re doing our part, but it is also up to the students to do their part,” said Sutherland on the topic of student choice. “If they want to stay healthy and fit, they have to eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, and drink less alcohol.”

In addition, according to Sutherland, students can also log onto mypyramid.gov and insert their height, weight and activity level and receive a breakdown of how many of each food group they should consume to help them stay on track with their eating habits.

Ultimately, Weiner recommends students give in to their cravings to a certain extent and listen to what their bodies want. “If it matters to you and you want to eat healthy and two things look equally good, pick the one that is healthier,” she said. “But if you really want that something else, then get that something else or you’re never going to be happy.”

While Sutherland has helped to spearhead many of the healthy menu and preparation practices, she maintains that “you can’t really pinpoint a specific healthy food because all the food can be healthy, just in moderation.” For college students looking to stay healthy, just remember the words of Sutherland: “moderation and variety are key.”