Is it true that students
tend to gain weight during their first year in college? Cornell Professor of Nutrition David Levitsky recruited students from two large sections
of an introductory health course. Although they were
volunteers, they appeared to match the rest of the freshman
class in terms of demographic variables such as sex
and ethnicity. The students were weighed during the first
week of the semester, then again 12 weeks later. Based
on Professor Levitsky’s data, estimate the mean weight
gain in first-semester freshmen and comment on the
“freshman 15.” (Weights are in pounds.)