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| The Holiday Season - Part I |
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We’re entering the time of year that is commonly called the Holiday Season. This once referred to the period from the last half of December through New Year’s Day. Now it can include the entire time interval from Halloween in late October through Valentine’s Day in mid-February. While the Holiday Season is a time of festivity, it is also a time of increased health risks. After I was in medical practice a few years, I noticed that December and January seemed to be riskier months than usual for many patients. Studies since then have amply confirmed that this is true. In particular is it true of heart attacks, which statistically peak on Christmas and New Year’s Days. It has been speculated that colder winter weather is one of the reasons for such increased risk, but if so, it’s not the only factor. Statistics in balmy areas such as Los Angeles show the same pattern as in colder northern climates. Other factors mentioned by health authorities include drinking and eating patterns, holiday and travel stress, and an increased incidence of respiratory ailments. Changed eating and drinking patterns over the holidays are common, and weight gain during this season is often taken for granted. Myth says that a five to ten-pound weight gain can be expected over the holidays. While a few people do gain that much, careful research shows that the average weight gain from Thanksgiving to early January is just a little over one pound. The unhappy news associated with this is that most people do not lose their excess weight after the holiday season is over. Indeed, a year later, just before the next holiday season, the average person has gained more than an additional pound. Those who are the most overweight at the start are the ones who tend to gain and retain the most excess weight. Even though any weight gained through one holiday season may be subtle, it can add up to a sizable amount after a few years. Two extra pounds a year adds up to an extra twenty pounds in ten years, while an extra five or ten pounds a year can add up to an excess fifty to one hundred pounds in ten years. That is how obesity sneaks up on most people. Few plan on becoming obese. Many may know their weight is creeping up, but the realization that they have become obese is often a startling revelation. In a sense, that is also what has happened to our nation. Without realizing what was happening to us, we have become an obese nation. Two thirds of us are overweight or obese. Unfortunately, obesity has profoundly unfavorable health consequences, both for individuals and for our nation. Chief among these is the increased risk of heart attacks. The American Heart Association website states in bold font: Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. A recent major heart study concludes that obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature heart attacks. |