Freshman 15 Thesis

Introduction

In Freshman 15, Melody A. Graham PHD and Amy Louis BA present a very compelling argument pertaining to the topic of weight gain in college freshman. The authors present the readers with their findings in an article format, which is accompanied with supporting data that was gathered in a study of college students. The key objective is to challenge the reader about the validity of the perceived weight gain of college freshman. This paper will review the author’s arguments and evaluate if they achieved their desired objective.

Summary

This section contains a summary of The Freshman 15: Valid Theory or Harmful Myth. Graham and Louis begin this article with a definition of the Freshman 15. Graham and Louis 2010 state

They enlisted about fifty college freshman to participate in the study. In conjunction, they administered questionnaires and collect surveys that solicited information about eating habits, exercise, and various attitudes pertaining to their self-image. The most influential data, was gathered by the health services department at the beginning of the school year. The health services department collected the weight and body fat of a portion of the freshman class. By the end of the freshman year, the same students were called back to reassess their weight and body fat. The findings were conclusive with the author’s original hypothesis. Graham and Louis 2010 state “We found no significant differences on initial EAT scores, body-image scores, participants’ reported or recorded weight at the beginning of the year or percentage of body fat between the 49 follow-up subjects and the 32 that did not follow up” (p.172). The authors provide statistical data in the form of graphs to quantify these findings. As the article comes to the end, the authors present a cause and effect theory that categorizes The Freshman 15 from a different perspective. Graham and Louis 2010 state “Those freshman who were concerned about gaining 15 pounds were more likely at the end of the year to think about their weight, have poorer body image, score higher on the EAT scale,

The authors did an outstanding job presenting their findings in a way in which the reader can make their own judgments about the topic. Additionally, the authors did an exceptional job outlining the pros and cons of their own study. Graham and Louis 2010 state “We recognize this study has a number of limitation” (p.173). The authors recognize the findings may be inaccurate because of the size and interest of the sample population. The authors concludes this article with a detailed explanation why an individual could question the foundation on which their hypothesis is built. This reason further supports the premise this article was written from an impartial point of view because the authors did not have to furnish the reader with this information.

Conclusion & References This critical review has evaluated the article Freshman 15: Valid Theory or Harmful Myth by Melody A. Graham PHD and Amy L. Jones BA. The arguments presented by the authors are thought-provoking and they do a first-rate job of giving the reader an unbiased perspective on The Freshman 15. I would recommend this article for any college student or an individual who is interested in eating disorders, health and fitness, or the effects that Universities have on incoming