- In December, people gain about a pound of fat
- It may not seem like much, but it can add up because most will never lose it
- READ MORE: Scientists claim to have found the root cause of obesity
During December, Americans devour fatty foods, delicious sweets, and high-calorie alcohol while attending festive gatherings and holiday gatherings.
But all this overindulgence leads to poor health outcomes that go far beyond New Year's resolutions.
December brings office holiday parties and large family dinners with high-calorie foods and drinks like ham, cake, and eggnog—and opening presents on Christmas morning doesn't burn many calories.
For this reason, people can expect to gain a pound of fat during the holidays.
Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said, “The average person gains about half a pound to a pound during the holiday season.”
Even if that doesn't seem like much at first glance, Dr. Bracamonte says it can add up over time since most people will never lose the extra weight.
Overindulgence during the holidays leads to poor health consequences that go far beyond New Year's resolutions
Holiday treats often include high-calorie foods and drinks like ham, cake, and eggnog
Dr. Bracamonte told Inside Edition, “It puts us at risk of problems like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and sometimes inflammatory problems like some cancers.”
To gain one pound of fat, a person must consume an additional 3,500 calories.
Although consuming too many calories is the primary cause, it's not the only reason you may be packing on pounds in December.
Vacations also bring stress and lack of sleep, both of which impact weight gain.
According to a 2022 study, people who got less than six and a half hours of sleep per night consumed an average of 250 more calories during the day.
Adequate sleep is vital because it regulates the production of two hormones – ghrelin and leptin – that maintain a balance between appetite and satiety.
Lack of sleep can cause an imbalance in the body that increases ghrelin levels and decreases leptin levels, making you hungrier throughout the day.
To avoid weight gain, Dr. Bracamonte to eat from a smaller plate instead of using the eat-and-peck method.
The eat-and-peck method involves eating a full meal and then grazing continuously.
The doctor added: “This tends to make you consume more calories. “A smaller plate can help limit these calories.”
Although there is limited research, Dr. Bracamonte isn't the first to point out weight gain during the holiday season.
A separate 2015 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the average vacation weight gain was slightly less than a pound.
Vanessa King, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told WebMD: “Studies have also found that people who are already overweight and obese gain more weight than those who are at a healthy weight, and if the average weight is taken into account.” “When it comes to annual weight gain, holiday weight is the main reason for annual excess weight gain.”
In the United States, nearly 42 percent of adults are considered obese – with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, which is roughly the equivalent of a person who is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds or more corresponds.
Obesity is linked to dozens of poor medical outcomes, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.
And there's evidence that obesity is linked to a higher risk of stroke, serious respiratory infections and 12 different types of cancer.
The obesity epidemic in the United States is estimated to cost the country's healthcare system more than $173 billion per year.