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Healthy minds but unhealthy bodies: graduating with a 4 year college degree and 7 pounds of body fat
Author(s) -
Gropper Sareen S,
Connell Lenda Jo,
Simmons Karla,
Ulrich Pamela
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.813.5
Subject(s) - overweight , underweight , body mass index , medicine , body fat percentage , body weight , fat mass , fat free mass , obesity , demography , zoology , gerontology , biology , sociology
This four‐year study followed a group of college freshmen from the beginning of the freshman year until spring semester, senior year. Body weight and height, measured using standard techniques, calculated body mass index (BMI), and body composition, measured using bioelectrical impendance analysis, were assessed at both times. Of the initial 240 freshmen (155 females, 85 males) recruited, 131 (55%) seniors (89 females, 42 males) completed the study. Significant gains were: weight 6.7 ± 11.0 lbs, BMI 1.0 ± 1.7 kg/m 2 , percent (%) body fat 3.6 ± 3.5%, and fat mass 7.0 ± 7.5 lbs. Males gained significantly more weight (13.0 ± 11.1 lbs), BMI (1.8 ± 1.6 kg/m 2 ), %body fat (5.2 ± 3.6%), fat mass (10.8 ± 7.4 lbs), and fat free mass (ffm) (2.9 ± 6.4 lbs) than females (weight 3.7 ± 9.6 lbs, BMI 0.6 ± 1.6 kg/m 2 , %body fat 2.9 ± 3.2%, fat mass 5.1 ± 6.9 lbs, ffm − 1.5 ± 4.8 lbs). Among the 71% of students gaining weight, weight gain averaged 11.5 lbs including 9.5 lbs of fat. The % of females and males with over 32% and 20% body fat, respectively, about doubled. Initially 18% of students were classified as obese/overweight and 82% normal/underweight, yet, by the senior year, 31% were obese/overweight and 69% were normal/underweight. College may be educating the students’ minds, but it does not appear to be graduating healthier bodies. This research was funded by USDA AL Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) projects 013–020 and 07–020, and an AAES Initiative Grant.