1. Myth or fact?: Unlimited access to all-you-can-eat dining halls. Late-night partying and pizzas. Studying fueled by high-fat snacks. College lore has it that students - especially women - pack on the pounds that first year away from home. But the freshman 15 may be just a myth. Although studies have only involved small groups of students on individual campuses, most suggest the majority of students gain three to 10 pounds during their first two years of college, and some actually lose weight. One study found that males piled on significantly more pounds than females.
2. "Generation XL:" Still, doctors are concerned that students who gradually put on pounds are establishing a pattern of weight gain that could spell trouble if it continues. The propensity for the "freshman 5 to 7" to be followed by the "sophomore 2 or 3" prompted Brown University researchers to dub today's college students "Generation XL."
3. Subtle changes: Small lifestyle changes can make a difference. A 2006 Rutgers study found that all it took for freshmen to gain seven pounds over two semesters was about 112 extra calories a day. That's one soda or half a cookie a day, or 10 minutes less of exercise, the researchers pointed out. Another study found that food eaten between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. was a leading contributor to weight gain.
4. Other tips: Eat breakfast, keep an exercise routine and limit alcohol (a 12-ounce beer contains 150 calories).
5. Helpful Web site: Chartwells Dining Services, which provides the food services at 230 college campuses, including the University of Miami, maintains a Web site - www.dineoncampus.com - that lists the calorie and fat content of hundreds of foods. The site helps students calculate their body mass index and the number of calories they naturally burn each day. Students also can create their own food journal on the site, which will keep a running total of what's been consumed for the day, week or month.