The Social Factors of College Lifestyle that may Cause Weight Gain in Undergraduate Students

The college life is a one of a kind experience. It is usually the first time students move away from their families and become independent. It is also a time for experimentation. Many students begin to figure out who they are by getting involved in school activities, and meeting new people. It is important to make friends and meet new people in college, and for many this is done by partying at night. College is a time of change: many begin to pick up habits, such as drinking, to deal with the change. This time of change includes social problems as well as academic, problems, which can be very stressful and tough for students to manage. As a result of these changes; body weight, dietary habits and overall fitness start to change, in many cases spiraling downward. Studies have been done focusing on college students and weight gain. In this paper I focus on the social factors of college lifestyle correlated with weight gain in college students. Weight gain is caused by poor eating choices and exercising habits, heavy drinking of alcohol and increased stress levels. It is important to study the causes of weight gain in this particular group because they contribute to the tremendous rise of obesity in the United States (CDC, 2007). Another reason this is sociologically important is because the culture of college is one like no other. College is a time of learning, growth and development. Students engage in activities that they perhaps would not have participated in before or after college. These habits that students create during the years of college may stay with them in the future. These habits tend to be created during freshman year