Bingeing at Christmas could make you gain two stone in three days says new study

We all tend to over-indulge at Christmas, particularly as so many traditional festive foods are laden with fat, sugar and salt.

But if you’ve been reassuring yourself that a few days of ditching the diet and eating whatever you fancy won’t have a lasting impact on your health and body, a new study may set you right.

The average Brit will have an additional 2,410 calories every day during the Christmas period – and therefore consume about 4,500 calories daily, the research suggests.

And that means you could gain two pounds in just three days after a Christmas binge, according to a nutritionist.

We’ll eat an extra 2,410 calories every day over the Christmas period – with each dinner coming in at 1,450 calories, according to a new study

Angela Dowden, a registered nutritionist, said: ‘By consuming more than 2,400 additional calories per day, over a period of three days – just counting Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day say – you could stand to gain as much as two pounds.’ 

We’ll eat three Christmas dinners on average over the holiday period – with each meal coming in at about 1,450 calories a time, says the research by diet brand Lighter Life Fast. 

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But we don’t just stop at the traditional turkey dinners, the research suggests.

The majority of us will also indulge in a total of three slices of Christmas cake, four mince pies and two portions of Christmas pudding over the Christmas period, says the study – that’s an extra 2,492 calories on top of what we normally eat.

And the calorie total rises to 2,675 if you add a tablespoon of brandy butter to each serving of Christmas pudding.

It’s not just calories that we should be aware of, either. Dowden says the amount of sugar in these classic festive traits is also extremely high.

The majority of us will also indulge in a total of three slices of Christmas cake, four mince pies and two portions of Christmas pudding over the Christmas period, says new research

She said: ‘Just this sweet stuff alone adds up to a whopping 307 grams (or 77 teaspoons) of sugar.’

HOW MUCH DOES OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BINGE COST OUR HEALTH?

– We’ll eat an extra 2,410 calories a day over Christmas on average

– We’ll gain two pounds in just three days, says study

– Average Christmas dinner contains 1,450 calories and 7.3g of salt

– We’ll eat three slices of Christmas cake, four mince pies and two portions of Christmas pudding over festive break: a total of 2,492 calories and 77 teaspoons of sugar

– Mince pie, slice of chocolate log and a couple of marzipan fruits contain 60g of sugar 

Health experts recommend adults eat no more than 30g a day of so-called ‘free’ sugar – that’s sugar added to a product or naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices.

But if you eat a mince pie, slice of chocolate log and a couple of marzipan fruits, you’ll be consuming twice the recommended amount on average – 60g in total.

And it’s not just high amounts of sugar that can lead to excessive weight gain at Christmas.

The average Brit will eat about 7.3g of salt in a typical Christmas dinner of a smoked salmon starter, turkey, trimmings, Christmas pudding and cheese, says the study.

It’s worse if you buy shop-bought versions of festive items instead of making your own, as cheating could see your salt intake rise to 15.7g per Christmas dinner.  

The recommended daily allowance of salt for an adult is 6g. 

The average Brit will eat about 7.3g of salt in a typical Christmas dinner of a smoked salmon starter, turkey, trimmings, Christmas pudding and cheese, says the study

Dowden said: ‘Excess salt raises blood pressure and puts the heart under strain raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

‘Salt makes you thirstier too, making it more likely that you’ll consume extra liquid calories.’

Three quarters of us also admit that we won’t achieve our five-a-day target over the Christmas period either, with one in eight saying that will have less fibre in their diet, according to the research.

Dowden says this has serious health implications.

‘If people get less than their normal amount of fruit and vegetables over the Christmas season they’re likely to be having lower amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A and folate, which together play a role in helping keep the immune system healthy. 

‘If you eat too few of these nutrients for a prolonged time it might mean you’re at an increased risk of succumbing to winter colds or flu,’ she added.

So before you tuck into that fourth mince pie or third slice of Christmas pudding, perhaps hold back – and have that carrot you left out for Father Christmas instead.