For most of us, Christmas and its festivities revolve around consuming tasty food and drinks with colleagues, friends and family. Between work Christmas parties, Christmas lunch or dinner, edible presents and New Year’s Eve, it can be an effort not to gain weight.
Seasonal Variations in Body Weight
The human body can be quite remarkable in its ability to maintain a stable weight over the long term. One small American study reported average fluctuations of just 0.5 kg throughout a year. Weight peaked in winter, which may be due to poorer weather and lower physical activity, but returned to normal.
Others, however, gradually gain weight over the years. A study of 120,000 Americans found weight gain averaged 3.35 lb (1.52 kg) over four-year periods.
The good news is that reducing your energy intake by around 100 calories (418 kilojoules) per day can prevent such weight gain. This could equate to not having that extra biscuit, or walking more each day.
Are We Likely to Gain Weight Over Christmas?
We often don’t follow our normal routines during the holidays. Therefore our lifestyle behaviours and body weight can change.
There aren’t many high-quality studies that look at body weight and fat changes over the Christmas period, but the studies that have been done report conflicting results.
A 2009 American study of 195 adults over the six- to eight-week winter holiday reported an average weight increase of 0.37 kg.
Another study of 26 English adults over a two-week Christmas holiday found they gained an average of 1 kg, even though five were sick (and three lost weight). The maximum weight gain was 4.4 kg.
