WHEN making the brash decision of choosing to go to university can be a daunting and life changing prospect for anyone, especially our parents. However, despite the typical presumptions and worries that their children will not be eating, and will become ill due to the lack of vitamins and minerals seems to be outdated, as it looks now that parents have a new fear ‘Fat Fresher Syndrome’. According to new research and studies the average student will put on approximately a stone in their first year of university.

Moving away from home for a long period of time can sometime be overwhelming, although the idea of not having your parents their moaning at you to clean your bedroom, as well as telling them exactly what time you will be home and becoming entirely independent sounds blissful and what appeals to most students. Although the thought of planning and cooking meals for yourself as well as using a washing machine for the first time to clean your clothes as well as being bought a bunch of kitchen utensils you have to learn how to use is a scary thought. However, the first time of entering the world of independence filled with bargain priced food products, excessive binge drinking, kebabs, cheesy chips (with mayo) and late night eating eventually with exam pressure is leading students in one direction... “Fat Fresher syndrome”. In the first week of university (which is formally known as fresher’s week), you are give guided tours of the university, shown where the gym is, as well as being bombarded by clubs promoting to us with leaflets and tickets of their cheap nights out you think you are in student heaven. With the sudden radical change in lifestyle and severe change in what students are used to at home students are able to full embrace student life and do and become what they want when they want. By fully submerging ourselves in our newly built lives there is no doubt we will do things out of the norm and your body soon adapts to your new lifestyle.

For a lot of people going out all the time and drinking excessively was never appealed to them. However, since going to university students will go out between 3-4 nights out a week. Constantly being faced with cheap student nights out it's hard to say no. The cheapest night of them all down in Bournemouth is called 'Toast'. Not only do you get £1 drinks but it is in the name- you get free toast at the end! As well as drinking you are also faced with 24 hour subways and takeaway shops on the 4am walk home- the biggest culprit of them all.

So if you don’t want to catch “Fat Fresher Syndrome”, I guess its time to retrace your memory back to the day you had a tour guide of the university and head to the gym and sign up!