A Look at People’s Year-End Weight Gain Expectations
Year-end weight gain is a reality for many. The weight gain is influenced by a multitude of factors that occur during this holiday season. These factors include the abundance of parties and gatherings with large amounts of food and drinks, disrupted sleep cycles, heightened stress levels, reduced physical activity, and the prevalence of seasonal depression.
According to Everyday Health, the colder weather prompts an increase in overall food consumption, particularly leaning towards more indulgent choices. Additionally, the shorter, darker days throw our internal clocks off.
A survey commissioned by Herbalife, conducted by OnePoll, reveals that three-quarters of Americans are planning to enjoy the end of the year and not worry about their diet. Last year’s “Writing Off the End of the Year” survey had 54% of the 2,000 people surveyed feeling the same way. But this year, it went up to 72%.
Gearing up for year-end weight gain.
The survey also showed that the average person is gearing up to gain eight pounds during the holidays this year, up from 5.5 pounds last year. Half of the participants confess to having consumed to the extent of needing to loosen a belt or undo a button. Meanwhile 35% have gone to the extreme of eating until they felt uncomfortably full.
Nearly half of respondents admit to surpassing traditional meal boundaries, with 47% consuming more than three meals in a day. Additionally, 42% enjoy more than one dessert per meal. Interestingly, 59% have even duplicated a particular meal within a single day.
Despite the admission of breaking dietary regimens at the end of the year by 72% of respondents, nearly half attribute this lapse to irresistible holiday food. 78% admit to piling on the pounds during last year’s celebrations, and a chunk of them, 38%, are still carrying that holiday weight into 2023.
While succumbing to holiday temptations, 68% express confidence in adopting healthier habits in the upcoming new year. 47% of respondents are already contemplating New Year’s resolutions for 2024, which is an increase from the 32% who thought about it for 2023.
Take a look at the complete study here.
7 Festive Games and Activities for a Memorable Holiday Party
Name That Holiday Song
All you need is someone with a phone full of great Christmas songs, ready to play DJ. See who can guess the festive songs first after hearing just a few notes. It’s a laid-back way to enjoy some post-meal fun.
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Never Have I Ever Holiday Edition
Give this timeless game a festive twist by asking questions like, “I’ve never regifted a present,” and find out what secrets your friends and family may be hiding. You can stick to the traditional rules where those who’ve committed the act take a sip of their beverage, or you can opt for a point-based system, with the winner receiving a holiday surprise as their reward.
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Present Stacking
Here’s a game that allows you to unleash your creativity. Wrap a selection of uniquely shaped objects, and the challenge is to see who can build the tallest stack of presents. Using fragile items in this game should be avoided for obvious reasons.
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Christmas Carol Challenge
Here’s a straightforward, no-fuss game that’s perfect a cozy home get-together or an office party. Gather everyone in a circle, and the game begins with one person singing a line from a holiday song. The person to their right then must continue with the next line of the song, and so on. You can choose from timeless classics like Jingle Bells or opt for a more contemporary holiday hit like Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You. While you might know the opening lines of these songs, it becomes quite a challenge as the game progresses.
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Best/Worst Gift
Distribute four slips of paper to each participant. Every guest is tasked with jotting down two positive Christmas gifts and two negative ones: one from their real experiences and one fabricated. Collect all the slips in a container and let the group take turns guessing which presents were genuinely given and which were made up.
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Saran Wrap Ball Game
Make a big plastic wrap ball stuffed with little gifts like mini liquor bottles, gift cards, candy, and cash. One person starts by unwrapping it, while someone else takes the dice and tries to roll doubles. The twist is that you can’t stop unwrapping until your neighbor rolls those elusive doubles, so the pressure’s on to keep the ball moving. Players get to keep all the goodies they uncover during their turn, so everyone’s in for some prizes. You can make it more challenging by requiring the person unwrapping to wear oven mitts.
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Celebrity
Here’s a fun party game you can enjoy with friends or family anytime, anywhere. You split into two teams, and each player writes down 5 celebrity names on pieces of paper. You take turns being the clue-giver. In round one, the clue-giver describes the celebrity without saying their name or nickname, and the team guesses. In round two, you can only use one word as a clue. Round three is like Charades, where you act out the celebrity without speaking. Keep score to see which team guesses the most celebrities correctly. It’s a great game for any gathering.
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