BOSTON -- Now’s the time to get those students moving. According to research presented at the recent annual meeting of the Obesity Society in Boston, the average student gains more than a pound over Thanksgiving break. Students who are overweight or obese gain even more—more than 2 pounds, according to researchers.
Researchers weighed 94 students the week before Thanksgiving and within a week of their return to classes. Students gained an average of 1.1 pounds, or an extra 320 daily calories.
Eighty-four students came back for a third weigh-in after the winter break in mid-January. While most normal-weight students had lost their “turkey” weight, those who started out overweight had not.
Researchers also measured body fat percentage. Although normal-weight students lost weight, many students replaced some muscle mass with lighter-weight fat. Researchers note that students are probably not getting much activity at home as they are when on campus, walking from class to class.