Obesity and the Holiday Season
As the temperatures start to drop this time of year, we’ll be having multiple holidays in fairly rapid succession. Holiday meals will likely be part of your celebrations, but they can also lead to excess calorie intake. Coupled with the more sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies the colder temperatures, there is a high chance of weight gain during this time of year.
Here are a few facts about obesity and the holiday season:
- In most cases, the average-weight American will gain a pound over the course of the holidays.
- Weight gained during the holidays tends to stick around, meaning it will accumulate over the years.
- People who are obese will often gain more weight than others, usually around 5 pounds each holiday season.
- The cumulative effect of multiple holiday seasons leads to health issues like obesity, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.
While this season won’t necessarily ruin your health, it’s important to live a lifestyle that will prevent the accumulation of pounds over the years; whether you’re already obese or not. This means you need to establish a healthy lifestyle now.
Fall is an excellent time to get started. By getting into a habit of regular exercise and controlling what you eat before the holidays strike; your body will be prepared for the extra calories your celebrations will bring. Here are a few pointers to help establish these healthy habits:
- Find a time of the day that works for you to exercise and stick to it for a month. After a month is over, the habit should be ingrained enough to keep at it.
- Learn exercises you can do indoors. This will keep the colder temperatures from deterring you from staying in shape.
- Focus on forming healthy habits, not on losing weight. If all goes well, you should be able to maintain your weight during the holidays and lose it after if need be.
- Focus on celebrating with family and loved ones rather than solely on food.
For more information on obesity and keeping healthy during the holidays, contact Dr. Malladi of Malladi Bariatrics and Advanced Surgery.