Study: Dorms With Dining Halls Lead to Student Weight Gain

A study conducted by two researchers at the University of Michigan found that the presence of a dining hall in a college dormitory building corresponds with weight gain among students who live there (abstract can be found here). They found that females living in dorms with attached dining halls weighed more and exercized less than those in dorms without dining halls. They also found that female students who lived in closer proximity of a campus gym exercised more, while living closer to central campus reduced the incidence of exercise. As for male students, they ate more meals and more snacks if living in a dorm with a dining hall than those who didn't.