Avoid Holiday Weight Gain with Healthy Eating

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Weight gain doesn't have to be a part of your holidays. New Mexico State University's Anna María Pérez-Wright has tips for healthy holiday activities.

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Studies by the National Institutes of Health show that people gain an average of only one pound during the holidays. But, year after year, those pounds add up. Program coordinator Kari Bachman with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service says people who maintained their weight during the holidays were more active and celebrated with activities where food was not the centerpiece.

"If you are more active, you are going to burn more calories and there are a lot of really fun ways that you can do that during the holidays. The houses in your neighborhood might be lit up and it's a really nice activity to go for a walk or a bike ride with your family at dusk every night. Even that amount of activity will increase your fitness level and help you keep off the weight."

Bachman says you can organize other holiday activities with your family that don't include eating, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen or caroling with community groups. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.