Vacations help 'creeping obesity' sneak up on you

You may want to start paying attention to your during holidays as a new study suggests that vacations can lead to weight gain and also contribute to "creeping obesity."

A faculty member in the University of Georgia found that adults going on a one- to three-week vacation gained an average of nearly 1 pound during their trips. With the average American reportedly gaining 1-2 pounds a year, the study's findings suggest an alarming trend.

Researcher Jamie Cooper said that if you're only gaining a pound or two a year and you gained three-quarters of that on a one- to three-week vacation, that's a pretty substantial weight gain during a short period of time.

The study supports the notion of "creeping obesity," the common pattern of adults gaining small amounts of weight over long periods of time, leading to increased health problems later in life.

The study found that 61 percent of the participants gained weight while on vacation, with an average gain of 0.7 pounds, and that the weight gained throughout the entire study averaged 0.9 pounds.

The vacation weight gain occurred despite a trend for slightly increased physical activity during vacation. The study also showed a decrease in physical activity in the weeks following vacation.

Cooper noted there were some benefits to vacations. Study participants showed significantly reduced stress levels and a slight reduction in systolic blood pressure that lasted even six weeks post-vacation.

Cooper said, "Whether or not those positive changes in blood pressure and stress can overcome the negative health implications of gaining weight on vacation are yet to be determined."

The study appears in Physiology & Behavior.