College Freshmen Gain Weight

I think it is routine for a college student to put on l0-l5 lbs the first year in school. Christy* was no exception. She had put off coming in for an office visit all summer. She had been a tennis player in high school but stopped that physical activity and so today when I saw her she not only had problems of weight gain but also lack of energy – something I see frequently in other patients. We talked for quite a while trying to discover any basis for her problems. I found out she continued to be inactive and now had a decreased self-esteem because of the weight gain. As expected my physical examination was normal and I ordered some basic lab work including a thyroid test, all of which I expect to be normal. She promised to exercise regularly and see me back in 3 weeks. I think that will help but my suspicion is she has a mild depression.