Research
Energy balance
The holiday season (late November to mid-January) causes significant weight gain in adults, with gains of 0.4 to 0.9 kg that are rarely lost subsequently.
Expect to gain 0.4-0.9 kg during the holidays. This gain is rarely lost later. To prevent this, use self-monitoring strategies like daily weighing or regular check-ins, as these have been shown to mitigate weight gain during this period.
ModerateSupportsHIGH confidence
In studies of adults, a significant weight gain was consistently observed during this period (0.4 to 0.9 kg, p < 0.05)... The weight gained during the holiday period was not subsequently lost... and represents more than 50% of the weight gained throughout the year.
Why this rating
Based on a narrative review of multiple observational and intervention studies; quality varies by study but the trend is consistent.
Source
Effect of the Holiday Season on Weight Gain: A Narrative Review
Rolando Giovanni Díaz-Zavala et al. · Journal of Obesity · 2017
DOI 10.1155/2017/2085136
narrative_reviewCited 74×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Self-monitoring interventions (e.g., daily weighing, phone calls, mailings) during the holiday season can prevent or significantly reduce weight gain in adults.Moderate
- The holiday season does not cause significant weight gain in children or college students, though it may increase body fat in college students.Limited
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