A week's vacation may leave many adults with a heavier midsection--extra weight that can hang around even six weeks post-vacation.
A faculty member in the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences found that adults going on a one- to three-week vacation gained an average of nearly 1 pound during their trips. With the average American reportedly gaining 1-2 pounds a year, the study's findings suggest an alarming trend.
"If you're only gaining a pound or two a year and you gained three-quarters of that on a one- to three-week vacation, that's a pretty substantial weight gain during a short period of time," said Jamie Cooper, an associate professor in the college's department of foods and nutrition.
A week's vacation may leave many adults with a heavier midsection--extra weight that can hang around even six weeks post-vacation.
A faculty member in the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences found that adults going on a one- to three-week vacation gained an average of nearly 1 pound during their trips. With the average American reportedly gaining 1-2 pounds a year, the study's findings suggest an alarming trend.
"If you're only gaining a pound or two a year and you gained three-quarters of that on a one- to three-week vacation, that's a pretty substantial weight gain during a short period of time," said Jamie Cooper, an associate professor in the college's department of foods and nutrition.
The study supports the notion of "creeping obesity," the common pattern of adults gaining small amounts of weight over long periods of time, leading to increased health problems later in life.
Cooper's study involved 122 adults between the ages of 18 and 65--average age of 32--who went on vacations ranging from one to three weeks in length between the months of March and August.
While previous studies have analyzed and confirmed significant weight gain during the holiday season, no data previously existed on weight gain during short-term vacations.
Family on vacation enjoying a barbeque image via Shutterstock.
Read more at EurekAlert.
