Self-Weighing, Self-Awareness May Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

Researchers devise method to prevent holiday weight gain

During the holidays, it is easy to eat up to double or triple our needed calories, leading to weight gain that is often permanent. Pixabay

A brief program that encouraged people to track their weight and be mindful of the excess energy in every holiday cookie or cup of eggnog seems to have helped participants get through the holiday season without gaining weight.

The trial in the United Kingdom recruited participants in November and December of 2016 and 2017 and followed up with them about 45 days later. Those assigned to the weight-gain prevention program ended up losing 0.13 kg (about one-third of a pound), on average, while the control group gained 0.37 kg (nearly a pound), the study team reported Dec. 10 in The BMJ.