Doing This May Not Stop Holiday Weight Gain

While a previous study showed that men who exercised while eating more during the holidays kept a healthier metabolism, the same story doesn’t fare as well for women, according to a new study from Texas Tech University.

Following more than 100 participants during the holiday season–between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve–researchers found that those who exercised still gained weight, a factor that may lead to obesity down the road, says researcher Jamie Cooper.

“That means holiday weight gain could be a more important factor in the obesity epidemic than many people realize,” says Cooper, who works as an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University. “That means there really is no substitute for moderation during the holidays, a time when foods are much more likely to be loaded with fat and sugar and hidden calories.”

Why Exercise Didn’t Work

Following 100 women between the ages of 18 to 65 years old, researchers from Texas Tech University studied them to see how certain eating habits, such as eating more calories during the winter holidays, affected their ability to maintain the weight. During the study, half of the participants reported being regular exercisers, whereas the other half admitted they preferred a more sedentary lifestyle.

Measuring their body mass index, or BMI, researchers then followed them as they went along on their day-to-day routines during the holiday season, which often included holiday parties and get togethers where they couldn’t maintain a healthy caloric intake.

After the festivities had ended, researchers measured their BMIs again–and results weren’t good.
“If you think about going for a run, if you run for 30 minutes and you run three miles during that time, you burn about 300 calories,” says Cooper. “Well, one piece of pumpkin pie without anything on it is about 300 calories. So, it’s really easy to eat all those calories that you burn during exercise and then some.”

In total, BMIs went up across the board for both sedentary and active individuals, despite how much they worked out. On average, they also gained around a pound of fat during the holiday season–a number that may seem small at first, but can add up to bigger numbers down the road.

“A pound or two may not sound so bad, but studies have found that on average, people gain about two pounds each year,” says Brenda Goodman, a reporter for HealthDay. “It’s called weight creep. After 10 years of small annual increases, that’s an additional 20 pounds of fat.”

However, exercising during the holidays held one key advantage: It kept their blood pressure in check. During the study, researchers found that those who exercised for around 5 hours a week maitained healthy blood pressure levels compared to those who didn’t–something that may lower their risk of diabetes down the road.

If you’re hoping for a slimmer waistline, though, unfortunately exercise alone won’t do–you’ll need to keep your calories in check too.

Readers: Do you try to diet during the holiday season?

Source:
Exercise Won’t Prevent Weight Gain – WebMD.com

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