Research provides blueprint for holiday over consumption
You’ve just stepped back from your third helping of turkey and two pieces of pumpkin pie and realize this is just the beginning of a month of holiday eating.
And not just eating – overeating.
Ever wonder why?
Bradley Appelhans, PhD, an assistant professor at The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University, might be able to tell you.
First, we have evolution working against us.
“We are essentially hunter-gatherers in terms of our biology, and hunter-gatherers frequently had to endure lean times,” Appelhans said. “So we have evolved to be really good at storing fat. It’s good for us. Well, it was good for us.”
Not all fat is bad but research shows that those with obesity are at a higher risk for heart trouble, cancers and other diseases. This time of the year is particularly challenging for many folks because of our efficiency in packing on the pounds.
“We have evolved a predisposition to over consume tasty food whenever it is available – and nowadays, tasty food is almost always available,” Appelhans said.
However, our ancestors expended hundreds of calories in hunting down and finding that meal so you needed plenty to replenish. Not so, in modern times. A meal with just as many calories as a mastodon burger is a drive-thru away.
Along with evolution is the influence of your parents.
“Obesity is highly genetic,” Appelhans said. “Genes play a huge role. About 80 percent of the variability in people’s body weight can be attributed to genetic differences.”
But there’s more to the story.
“Genes are important, but not for explaining the obesity epidemic,” Appelhans said. “The environment is a very important factor.”
Appelhans notes that as portion sizes have grown, more sugars and fats are added to our food, carbohydrate consumption has increased substantially and we are all drinking more soft drinks.
So what can you do, especially at the company holiday get-together?
Tina Shepard, MS, RD, on the faculty of the Department of Nutrition in Arizona State University’s School of Applied Arts and Sciences and the current president of the Arizona Dietetic Association, said psychosocial factors are a huge factor in eating behaviors.
“Several studies have shown that people are more likely to overeat at parties because others are not showing restraint,” Shepard said. “Alcohol consumption can also lead to letting your guard down.”
Shepard said because holiday parties are held at the end of the year, there’s a tendency to eat now and pay later.
“Most people say to themselves, ‘I’ll eat what I want now and lose the weight in the New Year,’” Shepard said.
Tips on how to avoid holiday overeating are listed below.
And although exercise can only help you get healthier, cutting back just on portion size or that one soda a day can make a big difference, the experts note.
“A pound of fat is about 3,500 calories so if you could go to bed every night with a 500-calorie deficit - there’s a pound a week,” Appelhans said. “That’s within the safe range in which to lose weight.”
Appelhans has many more suggestions and ideas behind our behavior from his research on how behavioral and psychosocial factors can significantly affect a person’s health. He cites examples of psychological stress altering immune function, neuroendocrine (hormonal) disturbances and increased sensitivity to pain. He also studies behavioral and biological factors contributing to obesity.
Appelhans, who earned his doctorate at Arizona State and trained at the University of Illinois-Chicago and at Northwestern University, teaches behavioral science at the College of Medicine-Phoenix.
Tips to Avoid Holiday Overeating
• Don’t drink too much alcohol. Alcohol not only contains lots of extra calories, but it doesn’t make you feel full either. It also affects your judgment and your self control. Try and drink at least one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage that you consume.
• Downsize your portions: Go ahead and try just a bite of everything you want to taste, instead of eating larger and higher-calorie portions. You won’t feel deprived since you got to taste a variety of good foods.
• Eat slowly and savor every bite. In general, the faster you eat the more calories you will consume before your body feels full.
• Eat before you go to a party so you aren’t famished when you get there. You will be less likely to overstuff yourself.
• At a buffet, try to fill up on healthier options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
• At a sit-down dinner, follow the "three-quarter rule": Fill your plate three-fourths full of lower-calorie foods – salad, vegetables, turkey, ham – and one-fourth full of higher-calorie choices, including stuffing, mashed potatoes, and desserts.
• Don’t stand by the buffet table. If you spend the evening standing next to the food, you are more likely to continuously snack. Take a walk outside to get some fresh air and then stand in another part of the room, away from the food.
• Plan to get some exercise the day before or after a party. At least you can burn off some of the extra calories you may have eaten.
Source: Tina Shepard, MS, RD
Department of Nutrition, Arizona State University
President, Arizona Dietetic Association
Contact:
Al Bravo, bravoal@email.arizona.edu
(602) 827-2022
Associate Director of Public Affairs
The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University
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