The effect of the Thanksgiving holiday on weight gain

Nutrition Research Newsletter, Dec, 2006

In the United States, 1 in 5 college students are classified as obese. Perhaps more alarming is that previous research indicates obesity rates rising fastest in 18 to 29 year olds and those with some college education. These are grave statistics given that for the first time in history, predictions suggest the youth of today may live shorter lives than their parents.

Obesity levels in adults are commonly attributed to a small prolonged discrepancy in energy intake and/or energy expenditure that results in a gradual yearly weight gain. In young adults this has been estimated at approximately 0.2 kg to 0.8 kg per year. However, there is little available evidence to identify whether annual body weight increases are the resultant effect of the perceived continual daily discrepancy in energy balance or are due to more discrete periods of weight gain such as holiday periods. The holiday season is a time of the year suggested to present an increased risk of weight gain and obesity development. This is postulated to be caused by stress associated with the holidays, increased caloric intake, and/or a decline in physical activity.

College students are a group of particular interest considering their reported weight gain during their freshman year. Given this magnitude of weight gain is still considerable, it is important to understand the role of the Thanksgiving holiday period. To date, no study has examined weight changes over the Thanksgiving holiday in college students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the changes in body weight over the Thanksgiving holiday in college students and to evaluate possible differences based on gender, BMI, and class standing.

Ninety-four college students (23.0 [ or -] 4.6 years, 72.1 [ or -] 14.0 kg, 172.6 [ or -] 9.3 cm, 24.0 [ or -] 3.9 kg/[m.sup.2]) reported to the human body composition laboratory at the University of Oklahoma following a 6 h fast with testing occurring prior to, and immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday break (13 [ or -] 3 days). Body weight (BW) was assessed using a balance beam scale while participants were dressed in minimal clothing. Paired t-tests were used to assess changes in BW pre and post Thanksgiving holiday with additional analysis by gender, BMI, and class standing (that is, undergraduate vs. graduate).

Overall, a significant increase in BW was found between pre (72.1 kg) and post (72.6 kg) Thanksgiving holiday. When stratified by gender and class standing a significant increase in body weight was observed between the pre and post Thanksgiving holiday in males (0.6 kg), females (0.4 kg), and graduate students (0.8 kg). When participants were classified by BMI as normal or as overweight/obese, a significant 1.0 kg BW gain was found in the overweight/obese ([greater than or equal to] 25 kg/[m.sup.2]) group compared to a nonsignificant 0.2 kg gain in the normal group (< 25 kg/[m.sup.2]).

An increase in body weight was observed over the Thanksgiving holiday with males and females exhibiting similar trends (0.6 kg and 0.4 kg, respectively), however, the greatest increases in body weight were witnessed in graduate students (0.8 kg) and overweight/obese participants (1.0 kg). Although a great deal of publicity is given to holiday weight gain, few research studies have been done to examine weight changes during the holiday season and only one research study was performed in college students.

In conclusion, the researchers found over the Thanksgiving holiday an increase of 0.5 kg in body weight. Although this may seem like a trivial amount of weight, considering the short time frame, this is troublesome since previous research suggests weight gained during holiday periods is retained. Therefore, the Thanksgiving holiday represented a critical period for weight gain and obesity development. Additionally, it seems as though graduate students or those who are already overweight/obese are at increased risk of greater weight gain. These findings may have important practical implications given the need for implementation of effective intervention strategies in those groups most at risk for obesity development and its associated comorbidities.

H. Holly, R. Duncan, M. Dinger, et al. The Effect of the Thanksgiving Holiday on Weight Gain. Nutr J; 5(29). (November 2006). [Correspondence: David A Fields. Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 7314. E-mail: dfields@ouhsc.edu.]