Research paper
Schoeller DA. The effect of holiday weight gain on body weight. Physiology & Behavior. 2014 Jul;134:66-69. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.03.018
Why we cite it
A review paper synthesizing evidence on holiday weight gain across Western populations. It places the Yanovski 2000 finding in broader context: the ~0.5 kg average holiday gain, though modest, represents the primary driver of annual excess weight accumulation in adults. It also identifies a notable exception in children, who gain weight primarily during summer rather than holidays — a distinction relevant to age-specific intervention timing.
About the author
Dale A. Schoeller, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the first to use the doubly labeled water method for measurement of energy expenditure in humans, for which he received the Mead Johnson Award from the American Institute of Nutrition. His research focuses on energy metabolism, body composition, and human obesity. He has over 55,000 citations and received the Herman Award (American Society of Clinical Nutrition) for obesity research and the Atwater Award (USDA/ARS) for contributions to understanding human energy requirements.
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.03.018 · PubMed 24662697 · Publisher