We've all heard of the 'freshman 15' -- the legendary 15 pounds that students tend to put on during their first year away at college. Apparently though, that weight doesn't necessarily come from too much partying and late-night study sessions fueled with lots of pizza.

According to the study reported on here, female students who go away to university and live in dorms are three times more likely to develop a binge-eating habit than those who remain at home with their parents. Girls who already had negative body images were also three times more likely to begin binge eating than those who did not.

The many changes that students have to deal with when they first go away to college can be incredibly stressful, and for young people who aren't used to dealing with such heavy levels of stress, binge eating can become a coping mechanism. It's dangerous because it can not only lead to significant weight gain, but developing a binging habit can also eventually lead to bulimia.

If you have a child who has recently gone away for their first year of college and you're worried about how they're coping, take a look at the full article for more information.