Christmas weight gain can last for months

Emobileclinic Researchers Corner

The New England Journal of Medicine has published the findings of researchers from the Cornell University of Ithaca, NY who found that weight gained during yuletide season tends to last longer for months. The study involved nearly 3,000 adults participants from across three countries found that in the 10 days after Christmas, there was up to a 0.6 percent increase in weight gain, compared with the 10 days before Christmas.

According to the researchers’ findings, the team says that while healthcare professionals should advise patients to adopt greater self-control over Christmas, it may be more beneficial to warn them of the persistent weight gain due to holiday calories.
The team says “it might be better to advise patients that although up to half of holiday weight gain is lost shortly after the holidays, half the weight gain appears to remain until the summer months or beyond,” and “of course, the less one gains, the less one then has to worry about trying to lose it.”
“The festive season is a time for many of us to take a well-deserved break and enjoy good food and good company, so it is only natural that we treat ourselves over the holidays”.
Similarly, Erin Morse, chief clinical dietitian at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at the University of California-Los Angeles, notes that there are plethora healthful holiday foods to choose from, such as whole cranberries, multicolored cauliflower, and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. Morse offers further tips to help prevent holiday weight gain:

Desist from sitting down for dinner on an empty stomach: around an hour before Christmas dinner, eat an apple or a cup of vegetable soup. This will increase satiety and minimize the desire to eat much.
Choose wisely: think about whether what you are eating is really worth the calories and to check if there is a healthier alternative?
Steer clear of the appetizer table: if your Christmas is more of a buffet affair than a sit-down meal, try not to lurk around the appetizer table – you’ll be picking without realizing
Do some exercise: while it can take a lot of exercise to work off a whole day’s indulgence, every little bit helps.
Christmas season offers time to relax, have fun and spend some quality time with family and friends, it is important to know that one should not do so at the expense of one’s health.

 
Source
Medical News Today Bulletin