As high school comes to an end, adjusting to college becomes priority for many recent graduates. The start of college welcomes new friends, experiences, and memories as well as the unfortunate weight-gain commonly known as Freshman 15.

For some, joining a sports team undermines the saying of Freshman 15. Third year college student Steve Serrano said, “I didn’t really have Freshman 15 when I started at Cal State Fullerton. I was a volleyball player in high school and so I played intramural sports when I entered college, which allowed me to stay in shape. I also befriended a lot of new people which made my college experience that much more enjoyable.”

For others, the saying of Freshman 15 did not go unnoticeable. “Joining a frat at UC Santa Barbara exposed me to a lot of new things. The downside of my first year was that I was very involved in socializing that I rarely put in any effort to workout consistently. Freshman 15 got the worst of me but now that I am entering my fourth and final year, I have been able to whip myself back into shape and feel great,” said Josue Damas.

The question to consider is whether or not Freshman 15 is indeed a myth or fact for all incoming college freshmen. Two researchers – one at Ohio State University and the other at the University of Michigan at Dearborn  — decided to take a thorough look at Freshman 15.

In a study conducted, they reported that Freshman 15 is a myth. Weight gain among freshmen students is far less than 15 pounds and it does not have much to do with college. Young adults who do not attend college gain just as much weight as those who do.

The findings also suggest that weight gain climbs slowly but steadily among young adults in general and not just in the first year of college. Whether Freshman 15 is clearly a myth, not all college students are able to avoid the unwanted weight-gain.