The document discusses reasons why college students often gain weight, referred to as the "Freshman 15". It notes that college dining halls often provide plentiful but unnutritious food, while fast food is cheap and convenient for busy students. Surveys found that lack of appealing healthy options, expense of healthy foods, and lack of time were reasons students did not eat well. Late night snacking between 8pm-4am is also identified as a leading cause of weight gain among college students.

1. A Photo Essay by Lesley Pahl Delicious, but not nutritious

2. According to Naomi Rockler-Gladen, a former professor at Colorado State University, “There are many reasons why college students gain the dreaded ‘freshman fifteen’, and one of those reasons is the experience of eating in a college dining hall. The food may not be great, but it's plentiful, and it's not necessarily very nutritious!”

3. Fast food is cheap and easy for an on-the-go college student

4. In the realm of emotional eating, eating to cope with stress is quite common. And all of these transitions can lead to stress for students.

5. The dining halls aren’t always open, so many students must go for the places that are open during hours convenient for them

6. According to the University of Denver health and counseling center, 93 percent of students at DU don’t eat fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

7. There are many ways students can eat healthy if they go to the effort to do so

8. 61 percent of students surveyed blamed their unhealthy eating habits on lack of appealing healthy options in the dining halls.

9. 75 percent of students surveyed included ‘expense of healthy foods’ and ‘lack of time to eat’ in their reasoning for not eating well.

10. Many college students believe they might eat healthier if there were more nutritious, but still cheap, snack items conveniently available around campus rather than the simple bag of chips or candy bar.

11. “Many colleges and universities are replacing conventional dining facilities with retail-style food courts that feature spacious venues, customizable entrees and globally-inspired food options.” ~ NPN web

12. Studies show that eating between 8 pm and 4 am is a leading contributor to weight gain. As most college students are prone to late night snacking, this may be a leading factor in gaining the ‘Freshman 15’

13. More and more dining halls at colleges are attempting to provide plenty of nutritious options and even specially designed fitness options.

14. A study done on the eating habits of college students by the University of Leicester showed that most college students ate unhealthy, fast-food type meals due to a lack of time, unwillingness to prepare their own food, a limited budget, and peer pressure to go eat in groups at generally cheap and unhealthy places around campus.

15. Drinks like soda and beer are common on college campus and are the top reason students gain the ‘Freshman 15’

16. Many college students do choose to take part in the dining hall experience and purchase a meal plan