Ohio State Study: Freshman 15 a Myth

There is no "Freshman 15" according to a study of more than 7,000 individuals from around the country conducted at the Ohio State University's Center for Human Resource Research and published in the December 2011 issue of Social Science Quarterly. In fact, according to study co-author Jay Zagorsky, "there doesn't appear to be even a 'college 15' for most students," reports Reuters.

The researchers found that college students in their freshman year gain at most a half pound more than peers who don't go to college at the same age. They also theorize that any weight gain through the college years—seven to nine pounds for women and around 12 or 13 for men—can be attributed to natural physical maturing into full adulthood.