No more Freshman 15?

What was once the Freshman 15 is now the Freshman 30. When I was in college, all undergrads worried about gaining 15 pounds in their first year. The food served in the cafeterias was so different than we were used to. What's more is that there were no boundaries as to what we could and should eat. Our parents weren't there to tell us we'd had enough food or that we should chose a different option for dinner. We were able to make our own decisions, and some continued to live as they were taught and others rebounded once they saw the extra weight around their waist. Now, however, it seems undergrads are fearing the freshman 30. Or should I say they are jokingly embracing the upper limits of average freshman year weight gain.

There are now more options than there were ten years ago when I was in school. Fast foods and foods that are higher in fat content are more acceptable. Students are also coping with more stresses, mostly self imposed based on societal views, and that means they cope in different ways. They cope with food. They don't exercise as much, as there are more distractions and activities that students feel are more important.

The new Freshman 30 could also be caused by a change in values parents impart on their children. Instead of teaching them how to live healthy they just make them live healthy while they're at home and then they cut them free when it's time to go to school. Once away and on campus, these younglings do not know how to maintain that lifestyle. They have never learned how to make appropriate decisions. They have not learned how to portion and enjoy smaller amounts of the things they love.

Whatever the cause, the Freshman 30 is reason for concern. We are becoming more and more a society of extremes. While we have a growing population of undergraduate students who are gaining more weight, we have a growing number of co-eds who are dieting extremely and exercising strenuously. There is a happy medium, and that medium doesn't have to consist of increasing a clothing size from small to the above, or from medium to large.

Allergy mystery

A 13-year-old California girl is a victim of a fatal allergic reaction and it is something that didn't have to and shouldn't have happened. Natalie Giorgi had a severe reaction to a dessert that included peanut butter. She technically shouldn't have died, due to the administration of three injections of epinephrine, and epinephrine is the only treatment known to prevent a serious allergic reaction from becoming fatal. The young teen knew she had the allergy and reportedly spit out the peanut butter and chocolate glazed rice crispie treat as soon as she realized what she had bitten into. This is a tragedy, and one that has puzzled the food allergy community, since all appropriate steps were taken to prevent death.

I have long feared being prescribed an epi-pen. It is not the prescription that I fear, as it would potentially save my life if needed, but I fear getting to a point where I need an epi-pen. My allergies have grown stronger over the years. The allergy that plagues me the most emotionally is apples. I am allergic due to my tree allergies, but I love the juicy, meaty fruit. Until a couple of months ago I didn't bother staying away. My reaction to them wasn't bad enough to warrant cessation, in my opinion. However, I know my friends and family wished I would stop eating them. Well, I recently had a stronger reaction to my formerly favorite fruit. Instead of just feeling my lips slightly itch, burn, and swell, I felt increased levels of those reactions in addition to an increase in my temperature and reddening of my face and neck. I also took issue with itching dermis on my neck and hives on my arms. This enhanced reaction was enough for me to chuck the apple into the trash (after only two bites) and swear uncooked apples off for good. I haven't touched them since. I fear one of these days I will get to the point where a doctor will tell me I need to start carrying the emergency medication at all times. Heck, I may already be at a point when I should be told to carry it. Only time will tell if and when it is needed.