As many of you know, my practice had Lumaslim a weight management division for over 25 years, known as Health Extenders, where we followed a large number of patients for their weight and behavior over long periods of time, including the holiday period. We never believed the 1 pound weight gain, and I still believe it's much higher than that.Revisiting the NEJM article recently, the study was relatively small, including only 200 people.
In reality, the study showed that perhaps 3 pounds were gained during the actual holiday season, and that one of these three pounds was still "retained" during the following 6-9 months.In addition, the study did suggest that, the heavier you are, the more you are likely to gain weight during the holiday season. The statistical variability between individuals was, in my opinion, too wide to render a scientifically valid opinion.
But holiday weight gain is not the only problem. A separate, earlier, study done in Taipei, Taiwan, showed that blood oxyhemoglobin levels (A1C) increase by 0.2% over the holiday season.Abnormally high A1C levels are seen in people with diabetes (a level higherthan 6% is generally considered abnormal). This 0.2% rise could represent an increasing degree of diabetes, or an increased tendency for diabetes in susceptible individuals.
