By Brook Sabin
If you’re in the middle of a big Christmas food splurge at the moment, pay close attention.
A Swedish study has found a short period of eating too much festive food leads to increased weight, which could take years to lose.
Researchers stopped the physical activity of 18 people for a month, increased their calorie intake by 70 percent and compared them to a group of 18 other people.
The excessive eaters gained, on average, 6.4kg and – while most lost it in six moths – two years later, the 18 were on average fatter than the other group.
“When you overeat for long periods of time, your body tends to store that as fat, rather than burning it off,” says dietitian Anna Sloan.
“You end up with increased fat mass – and that’s much harder to get rid of.”
Personal trainer Mike Ansari has an influx of clients after Christmas, wanting a quick-fix weight loss solution.
But he agrees, if they have eaten too much, for too long, it will take time.
“I know people that have gone through their new years resolution about eating, and they never get it off,” he says.
If this is all starting to feel a bit much like gluttonous guilt, another study out of the United States may just hold the answer.
Researchers there got volunteers to imagine eating chocolate M&Ms of cheese cubes, while another group performed an unrelated task.
Both groups were then given bowls of the treats and asked to do a taste test.
Those who had imagined eating the food ate half as much as the others.
They had feasted on the thought.
“You’ve already started thinking about what the flavour is going to be, what the texture is going to be,” says Ms Sloan.
“You’ve already started the enjoyment process, so when you put it in your mouth, you’re already halfway there.”
But dietitians say the best advice is still moderation.
Or else, a moment on the lips could very well be two years on the hips.
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