Persuasive Speech Outline

Andrew Hinds
Public Advocacy Speech Outline
CNA100
McKenna

Introduction
I.
II.
III.

IV.
V.

Attention Getter: Freshman Fifteen. Were you ever worried that you would gain
the freshman fifteen? A lot of people are scared that they will, and that includes
me! .
Audience Relevance: I am assuming that most of us here in this class are
freshman, and I am sure we are all worried about gaining the freshman fifteen.
Today, I will be discussing how to avoid gaining those dreaded fifteen pounds.
Speaker Credibility: I am a freshman here too and I am concerned about gaining
weight. Being an athlete, it is important to be physically fit. I sure do not want to
gain fifteen pounds of fat my first year. I would be okay with muscle, but I sure
do not want to gain fifteen pounds of fat.
Proposition: We should educate people in school about healthy lifestyles, such as
exercising and the importance of eating healthy so that when they get to college,
they know how to live healthy lifestyles and they dont gain the freshman fifteen.
Preview of Main Points: Today, I am going to discuss the problems of freshman
fifteen, including what causes people to gain it and solutions to avoid it.
Transition: I will start with the idea that the freshman fifteen can cause health
issues later in life.

Body
I.

Main Point 1- Problem: Gaining the freshman fifteen is something that nobody
wants to do. This is my first time living on my own and making my own choices that
pertain to my health. Food is comforting and a lot of people choose to eat to relieve
their stress. There are many food options in the cafeteria that are full of empty
calories with lots of fat and sugar. These options are very tasty and tempting to
choose. We dont have our family here cooking for us, making all of our healthy
foods. As such, the freshman fifteen can cause problems for people later in life.
a. Support: Freshman 15 Could Lead to Obesity Health Officials Warn of Food
Overload, Lack of Exercise for New Students, Yadira Junco, 2013
i. Evidence: According to Yadira Junco, studies by college-aged students
suffer from obesity three times more often than young children
ii. Evidence: According to Yadira Junco, obesity has become increasingly
common in America in the past 30 years, and is currently present in more than
one-third of adults in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention website.

Transition: Freshman fifteen can cause problems such as obesity.

II.

Main Point 2- Cause: There are several ways that can cause people to gain the
freshman 15. College is a lot different than high schoolpeople dont have as much
time to exercise and they dont have as much time to themselves like they did before.
a. Support: College Lifestyle Often Reason for Putting on Freshman 15, Brian
Attebery, 2007
i. Evidence: According to Brian Attebery, For many students, the first year
of college is the first time they have had to feed themselves because a
parent is not cooking, and fast food becomes the mainstay. Calories stack
up. The college lifestyle also tends to be one of late classes and later
nights. Pizza becomes a staple. The metabolism naturally slows down in
the evening, so eating late at night is not a good idea, and eating junk food
late at night is definitely not a good idea. If you need to eat late, choose
foods high in protein and fiber and low in fats and carbohydrates.
ii. Evidence: According to Brian Attebery, Many young people are not quite
done growing, and the metabolism doesn't begin to slow until they finish
growing.
b. Support: Freshman 15 could lead to obesity Health Officials Warn of Food
Overload, Lack of Exercise for New Students, Yadira Junco, 2013.
i. Evidence: According to Yadira Junco, Students come to school away
from parents regulation in what to eat and how much, said Christopher
Romita, a sophomore business major.
ii. Evidence: According to Yadira Junco, The requirement of unlimited meal
plan at Oswego doesnt help either. With an unlimited meal plan, the
options available and the long hours of dining hall operation make it
almost impossible to stop eating.
iii. Evidence: According to the Nutrition Information and Services on the
campus website, Oswego dining has joined this international movement
for the health of the college and the health of the planet. Its a small
initiative that no one really pays attention to, Romita said. At least 85
percent of the food is unhealthy no matter what.
Transition: Despite the different causes of the freshman fifteen, thankfully
there are several solutions to avoid it.

III.

Main Point 3- Solution: A lot of people are afraid of gaining the freshman fifteen.
People dont have to gain the freshman fifteen if they just follow a few simple
solutions.
a. Support: How to Avoid Gaining the Freshman 15, Bryan Miller, 2009

i. Evidence: According to Bryan Miller, Structure your eating habits, avoid

peer pressure, watch the liquid calories, plan for cramming, keep your
dorm free of junk food, take a course on healthy eating, weigh yourself
daily, and join the gym.
ii. Evidence: According to Bryan Miller, he discusses the all you can eat
mentality in the campus dining room. Somehow this principle or
mentality needs to be changed towards a healthier lifestyle.
b. Support: National Center for Biotechnology Information, Nicole L.
Mihalopoulos, MD, MPH, Peggy Auinger, MS, and Jonathan D. Klein, MD,
MPH, 2008.
iv. Evidence: According to the authors, Future researchers should
concentrate on the mechanisms of freshman weight gain and on
interventions to prevent unhealthy weight gain. A better understanding of
these issues could contribute to combating the obesity epidemic among
young people.
c. Support: Support: Freshman 15 Could Lead to Obesity Health Officials Warn of
Food Overload, Lack of Exercise for New Students, Yadira Junco, 2013
i. Evidence: According to Brian Wallace, Fitness Centers Manager at Oswego
State mentioned in Yadira Juncos article, We cant make somebody
exercise but we can give the education and motivation on what to eat,
Wallace said. Its all about how you manage your life and how you
prioritize healthy choices.
d. Support: College Lifestyle Often Reason for Putting on Freshman 15, Brian
Attebery, 2007
i. Evidence: According to Brian Attebery, If you need to eat fast food,
choose leaner selections. Choose wisely from the cafeteria, too. Avoid
alcohol and limit late-night eating. If you were an athlete in high school,
you must realize that your caloric needs will go down if you do not start
exercising.
Transition: Today, I spoke about the problems of the freshman fifteen, including
what causes people to gain it and the solutions to avoid it.
Conclusion
I.

Review of Main Points: Better education about health and nutrition should start
before entering college, and this will help the freshman student not to gain the
freshman fifteen.

II.

Restate Proposition: We should educate people in school about healthy lifestyles

and the importance of eating healthy so that when they get to college they know
how to live healthy lifestyles and they dont gain the freshman fifteen.

III.

Decisive Closing: Despite the risk of the freshman fifteen that may lead to
obesity, proper health and nutrition along with healthy eating habits is the key to
helping students avoid it.
References

Attebery, B. (2007). College lifestyle often reason for putting on freshman 15. Retrieved from
http://www.newsok.com/article/3122961
Junco, Y. (2013). Freshman 15 could lead to obesity health officials warn of food overload, lack
of exercise for new students. Retrieved from
http://www.oswegonian.com/2013/04/11/freshman-15-could-lead-to-obesity
Mihalopoulos, N. L., Auinger, P., & Klein, J. D. (2008). The freshman 15: is it real? Retrieved
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532948/
Miller, B. (2009). How to avoid gaining the freshman 15. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/26/freshman.15.weight/index.html