Holiday Weight Gain

Watch your calories between Thanksgiving and New Year's. When the holidays are over, most people don’t lose the extra weight they’ve put on.

Ever wonder where those extra few pounds that creep up on you every year come from? Research shows that most weight gain occurs in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. And most people don’t lose that extra padding during the remainder of the year. While the amount of weight people tend to put on during the holidays averages about a pound, overweight and obese people are likely to put on more.

According to the study, conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), after one year, research subjects weighed an average of 1.5 pounds more than they did at the beginning of the study.

Because the weight gained during November and December accumulates year after year, researchers say holiday weight gain should be viewed as a major contributor to obesity later in life. Instead of viewing it as a time to splurge, eat what you want in moderation. And don’t let your crazy holiday schedule keep you from going to the gym.