By this time of year, a lot of college freshmen are patting their stomachs and saying, "Yep, all-you-can-eat buffet."

But they're not necessarily packing on the hyped "Freshman 15." It's more like 3 or 4 pounds, according to a University of Vermont study published in the journal Health Psychology .

That may not sound like much but it's still three to four times more than the .9 pounds adults typically gain in a year – making freshman year a high-risk time for weight gain, researchers say.

Who is more vulnerable?

The study found that how healthfully you eat doesn't predict whether you'll gain weight. But your relationship with your folks may.

Women with good relationships with the 'rents are more likely to gain weight, while the same was true of men on bad terms with their folks.

Where you live during college can also affect weight gain. A study presented last month to the American Physiological Society found that calorie and sugar consumption was higher in students who lived on-campus (easy access to the cafeteria).

On the plus side, dorm students had a higher level of activity. Researchers suggested that this was because students are closer to intramural sports.