Using a Natural Experiment to Study the “Freshman Fifteen” Research shows that many college freshman do gain weight, although it is typically closer to five pounds than fifteen (Holm-Denoma & others, 2008). Kandice Kapinos and Olga Yakusheva (2011) used a natural experiment to study the effect of environmental factors on weight gain in college freshmen. Not surprisingly, freshman students who lived in a dorm with an on-site snack bar or cafeteria were more likely to eat more and gain weight than freshmen who had to walk across campus for meals and snacks.

Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times/Redux