Most of you have heard of the ‘freshman 15.’ This typically refers to the 10-15 pound weight gain experienced by many college freshman. The transition from high school to college represents a drastic increase in independence for teens which includes making lifestyle choices independently. After graduating from high school, many teens have fewer structured exercise activities/sports activities and they are more likely to purchase fast foods more often. Mom and dad no longer set the menu for meals and healthy food choices often are often thrown out of the window.
I recently met with some colleagues in public health and health advocacy to discuss strategies to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease in African Americans in St. Louis. We discussed lifestyle interventions and obesity prevention and we quickly came to the conclusion that young adults are often left out of the prevention strategies. We brainstormed about ways to target those transitioning from high school to independency. We joked that the freshman 15 was probably more like the freshman 20 or 25 over the last decade.
Less than a week following our brainstorming session, USA today reported about a study of 18,000 young women who were followed for over 16 years. Overall, the women gained approximately 20 pounds during the period. To learn more about the weight gain during this age range, I performed a search of the medical literature.
According to data reported in 2009, Missouri ranks number 23 with its percentage of overweight children; however, for adults with obesity, Missouri climbs to number 11. So while Missouri children rank near the middle of the 50 states for being overweight, Missourians are just outside the top 10 for most obese adults. (Not a milestone we want to brag about.)
Weight gain in young adults is an important risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as a number of other health conditions. Some conditions associated with obesity include-
– Diabetes
– Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure, Stroke
– Depression
– High cholesterol
– Erectile dysfunction
– Liver disease
– Sleep apnea (you stop breathing periodically during your sleep)
– Cancer (including breast, uterine, colon, prostate, and kidney)
Unfortunately, there is substantial weight gain among young adults, especially African Americans. In the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, the average weight gain for young adults was 35 pounds in African American women, 31 pounds in African American men, 22 pounds in white women, and 24 pounds in white men. At the end of the study, more than half of the young African Americans had gained more than 30 pounds.
Obviously, gaining 20 to 35 pounds is significant and you might expect there to be negative health issues associated with this degree of weight gain. Unfortunately, gaining as little as 10 pounds during young adulthood can lead to health issues such as high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and signs of inflammation. All of which increase the risk of heart disease and death.
The good news is that weight gain can be prevented by maintaining levels of physical activity and incorporating health food choices into the diets of young adults. Of course this is not an easy task. It is, however, easier to prevent weight gain than to lose weight.
I am looking forward to working with others in our community to plan innovative and culturally appropriate interventions to prevent weight gain in young adults. If you have ideas you’d like to share, please let us know.