As the class of 2018 adjusts to dining-hall cuisine, Olga Khazan debunks a common myth:
A 2011 study found that having six or more drinks on at least four days per month was the only thing that made a significant difference when it came to keeping one’s high-school figure. Even then, the drinkers gained just a pound more than non-drinkers did. That same study found that in reality, just 10 percent of college freshmen gained 15 or more pounds, and a quarter of them actually lost weight. Instead, college students gain weight steadily throughout their time in school – women gain between seven and nine pounds total, and men gain 12 or 13. Furthermore, the increase seems to be a natural part of adulthood, not something unique to dorms and dining halls. College freshmen gain just half a pound more than people their age who don’t attend college.
The Dish 