Christmas: Festivities, Family - And (Too Much) Food

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 18 Nov 2008 - 8:00 PST

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With plum puddings to eat and parties to attend, it's no surprise many people will gain an average 0.5kg by the end of the festive season. But according to the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), Christmas need not go hand-in-hand with a Santa-like stomach.

DAA spokesperson Sonya Stanley says: 'It's easier to overindulge during the festive season, but if you can limit the days you overeat to Christmas day and one or two parties, you'll have better control over your waistline.'

She said Christmas was not the best time to be trying to shed excess kilos and for many Australians keeping weight stable over the festive season was a good goal.

According to a US study, the average end of year holiday weight gain is 0.5kg and this weight gain is not reversed during the rest of the year1. And Ms Stanley said Australians are just as susceptible to holiday weight gain during this period.

'Those extra kilos are so much harder to get off than they are to put on, so moderation is the key over Christmas. Eating large portions, drinking more alcohol than usual and snacking can lead to weight gain. 'Even an extra 600 kilojoules a day - the amount in a small slice of Christmas cake, a full strength can of beer or a marshmallow Santa2 - can result in a couple of extra kilos come January,' said Ms Stanley, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Ms Stanley said no one ate healthy foods 100 per cent of the time, but to achieve or maintain a healthy weight it paid to be selective and choose the better options most of the time.

Ms Stanley recommended these festive season 'swaps'. Instead of:

- Crisps and crackers, try vegetable sticks with salsa or low-fat dip
- Plum pudding and regular-fat ice-cream, try fresh fruit with low-fat ice-cream
- Excess apricot or rum balls, try just one or two - or a small handful of dried fruit instead
- Party pies or sausage rolls, try mini-kebabs (made with lean meat or chicken, and vegetables)
- Fried spring rolls, try sushi rolls or rice paper rolls
- Offering around a bowl of chocolate-coated nuts, pass around a bowl of in-season stone fruit
- A glass of wine, try a wine spritzer (wine diluted with plain mineral water).

Visit the 'Smart Eating For You' section of the DAA website http://www.daa.asn.au for more ideas and tips on healthy eating.

The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) is the professional body representing dietitians nationally. Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is the only national credential recognised by the Australian Government, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most private health funds as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics services in Australia. For more information visit http://www.daa.asn.au

References

1. Yanovski JA et al (2000) A prospective study of holiday weight gain. NEJM, 342: 861-7.
2. Based on a small slice (38g) of Christmas cake (565kJ), a full strength 375mL can of beer (585kJ), and a 35g Cadbury's marshmallow Santa (575kJ). Source: Allan Borushek's Pocket Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate Counter 2008.

Dietitians Association of Australia