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From:WilliamH.Dietz,MD,PhD<obesity@gwu.edu>
Date:Wed,Nov30,2016at1:02PM
Subject:STOPObesityAlliance:NovemberNewsletter
To:mmturner@email.gwu.edu

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In This Issue:
Alliance & Member News

NOVEMBER
2016 ISSUE

Dear Monique,
WhyWeight?Guide

WeighInGuide

EnewsletterArchive

The average young adult aged 25-44 years gains roughly one
kilogram (2.2 pounds) per year. Over 20 years, that translates to an
additional 44 pounds of body weight. Recent research suggests
that nearly half of weight gained during adulthood occurs during the
annual six-week period from Thanksgiving to early January.
Onerecentstudy used data from wireless scales to analyze daily
weight-change patterns among 2,924 adults from the U.S.,
Germany, and Japan throughout a full calendar year. Mean age
was between 42 and 43 years of age in each country. Across all
three countries, participants weight rose signicantly within ten
days after Christmas. During the Christmas-New Year holiday
season, weight increased by an average 0.7% (0.6 kg) among U.S
participants and 1.0% (0.8 kg) among German participants. During
Golden Week, Japans major national holiday, Japanese
participants averaged a 0.7% (0.5 kg) weight increase. These
weight-change patterns suggest that only half of weight gained
during the holidays is subsequently lost.
In another study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health
measured body weight in a sample of 195 adults and found an
average gain of 0.37 kilograms during the holiday season (midNovember to early-January). Approximately 10% of participants
experienced major holiday weight gain ( 2.3 kg) and those who did

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The George Washington University Mail - Fwd: STOP Obesity Alliance: November Newsletter

were more likely to be overweight or have obesity. Minor weight

loss was observed during the spring and summer months, but the
amount of weight lost was not sucient to oset the holiday
increase. Weight gain was higher among participants who reported
less activity and increased hunger during the holiday period. We
are not aware of any data that suggest that weight trajectories in
children and adolescents are aected by seasonal weight gain,
although such eects seem likely.
While baseline physical activity levels do not predict the
magnitude of holiday weight gain or retention, eorts to improve
existing obesity prevention and treatment initiatives should consider
the impact of positive energy imbalance during the high-risk winter
months. During the typical holiday period, a 0.5-kg weight gain
could be explained by an excess energy intake of 90 kcal/day.
Ongoing eorts to stay physically active could promote healthy
lifestyles during the winter months.
Taken together, these ndings suggest that reducing seasonal
weight gain may be a key step in the prevention of adult obesity.
Enhanced selfmonitoringtracking foods consumed throughout
the daymay prevent holiday weight gain. However, additional
research is needed to assess the impact of clinical and workplace
interventions on successful weight management during the
holidays. Targeted strategies to prevent seasonal weight gain could
mitigate the growing burden of obesity and associated
comorbidities among young adults.

Sincerely,

ALLIANCE AND MEMBER NEWS