<p>Brought my freshman to Cornell last week. Dining hall food was excellent. We eat light and healthy at home. My child is going overboard, making all the wrong choices (lots of pancakes, waffles, etc..) I am afraid we will be looking at 20 plus lb gain by the end of the semester.
The kid is couch potato, the only exercise is the walk to class.</p>
<p>There is a lot of walking on that campus. It will probably be ok. The dining hall food does get repetitive after a while. My son lost 10 pounds his freshman year. See how he’s doing when he comes home for Thanksgiving. If you see a problem, you might encourage healthy eating choices. There are many good options available, but you aren’t there to make his decisions.</p>
<p>Part of the separation process. Kids learn (some sooner than later) that actions (both good and bad) have consequences.</p>
<p>Yes, I might have needed to clarify that my son did not, in fact, have a spare 10 pounds. He is now extremely thin. He will need to make sure that he eats enough this year. It goes both ways! Still, he is responsible for himself. We sent him with plenty of good healthy food and snacks to eat in his room in addition to the food plan. His shelves and refrigerator are well stocked.</p>
<p>Freshman 15 is usually from alcohol, not food. After few weeks of “excellent food,” it will get old.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think beer and pizza is the classic reason. My kid doesn’t consume either.</p>
<p>My S WORKED HARD to keep extra pounds on for high school football and lacrosse. when he came to Cornell, that was over and he had to WALK everywhere. The distances are great. He lost 10 to 15 pounds pretty quick. He is one of those people who only eats when he’s hungry or trying to gain weight. I would encourage a child who is susceptible to weight gain to walk and not necessarily take the bus. There are PE class requirements freshman year. I would suggest some of the ACTiVE ones, and not just the ones where you talk about being active.</p>
<p>The freshman 15 is a myth, the average freshman gains like 2-3 pounds (which is the average weight gain for an 18-19 year old anyway.)</p>