If, like most women, your weight tends to fluctuate throughout the year, brace yourselves. A new study from researchers at Cornell University has some good news, and also some bad news: right now, you are most likely at your lightest weight, but your jeans are about to start feeling a lot tighter as we inch our way towards Christmas.
Researchers used data from wireless bathroom scales belonging to 1,800 Americans, 800 Germans and 400 Japanese people over the course of one year to examine how their weight fluctuated over time.
Their findings? The majority of people are at their lightest weight at the beginning of October and at their heaviest around New Year's Day, but won't return to their pre-Christmas weight until the end of April. Sigh...
When researchers probed the data in detail, they found that in all three countries, participants’ weight rose in the 10 days following Christmas Day, while weight gain also occurred around major holidays in each country, rising by 0.3 percent in Japan during Golden Week, 0.2 percent in Germany over Easter and by 0.2 percent in the States after Thanksgiving.
It’s hardly surprising that weight gain is most pronounced during the festive season, when so many celebrations centre around eating and drinking: after all, who can turn down the prospect of mulled wine and (several dozen) mince pies, not to mention Christmas dinner itself…
While this study may be a timely reminder of the need to exercise moderation over the winter months, we wouldn’t advocate taking it too seriously. After all, what are January gym deals for if not working off the Christmas excess…