• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Kavita Devgan

Go easy at those weekend lunches and parties... a weekend weight-gain trap is lying in wait. You could gain as much as two kg a year!

Fat weekends are fast replacing `holiday over-indulgence' in urban India's flab-fighting lexicon. The findings of a recent study suggest that overeating during weekends may contribute to several pounds of weight gain every year. The study, titled `Weekend Eating in the United States Is Linked with Greater Energy, Fat, and Alcohol Intake' (published in Obesity Research), found that 19 to 50-year-old Americans take in 115 extra calories a day on weekends (Friday through Sunday) than on other days of the week.

Over the course of a year, the numbers add up to 17,950 extra calories — or about five pounds (a little over 2 kg). Worse still, most of the extra calories come from alcohol and fat.

"On an average, 42 extra calories come from alcohol, 50 from fat, while protein and carbohydrates account for the remaining 20 per cent of the excess calories consumed on weekends," says the study.

This study is bang on target, says Dr Shikha Sharma, Delhi based well-known fitness expert and weight-loss consultant. "Unfortunately, we do not have any statistics in India, but by tracking the eating habits of clients, I have noticed that this trend holds true in all the Indian metros and semi-metros. On weekends, people are definitely consuming more calories; some even up to 400-500 calories extra a day." Shikha also agrees that most of the extra calories come from fat and alcohol. "While a few pounds a year might not sound like a lot, add up the weekend weight gain and multiply that by a few years and you can see how weekend eating contributes towards obesity," she explains.

The pattern is typical — happy hours after work on Friday, dinner at the new eatery in town on Saturday and a family function on Sunday.

"These are all occasions where you will most likely eat calorie-packed foods; and before you know it, a weekend of unwinding turns into a calorie fest. A 12-ounce glass of beer — which most of us guzzle on an off-work day — accounts for 150 calories," she adds.

Studies suggest that when we eat out, we take in 40 per cent more calories than we would otherwise. If you stop at a fast-food restaurant for a meal, you could be eating in excess of 1,500 calories.

"In fact, even if you are a diligent calorie counter, you may not know how many calories you're consuming when you eat out. Basically, it's important to remember that it's a lot easier to gain a pound than lose one," warns Pratima Kaushik, a dietician at the Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, New Delhi.

"Lifestyles change dramatically from weekday to weekend, and this has an impact on eating patterns too," says Prof Manju Mehta, clinical psychiatrist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

"One is wired during the week due to work pressures," she explains, "so weekends are increasingly becoming a sort of `gap time' between those pressure-cooker weekdays.

Everyone tends to indulge, usually excessively. Sort of a reward for restrained eating during weekdays. It's a really easy recipe for weight gain."

Often, people are likely to reach out for comfort food — chips, fries, burgers, fat-laden steaks and cheese. Sunita Verma (33), a corporate lawyer, confirms this: "During the week I have a set agenda, a job to go to, lots of work and, most importantly, no refrigerator handy. But during the weekend, all I do is sit on the couch and look for something to munch on. Come Monday morning, I feel so bloated — there are times I can't even twist the wedding ring on my finger."

Shikha explains, "There is also a factor called `liquid pounds', which is not really fat. It is the result of eating more food and dessert than usual, leading to higher insulin levels and, thus, fluid retention. If this `liquid pound' weight gain isn't attended to within a day or so by cutting down on food and refined carbohydrate intake, it leads to real fat gain."

Beware of traps

So how does one avoid the weekend weight-gain trap? "Be prepared. One could continue to approach every weekend as a holiday, but one must avoid the weekend food frenzy," suggests Avdesh Sharma, a psychiatrist at Parivartan Centre, New Delhi.

Some, like ad writer Manisha Raghav (29), have a plan chalked out: "What I've been doing is stepping out of the house for a short walk, even if only for 10 minutes, or I read a chapter of a book or clean the bathroom. This usually takes my mind off food."

Shikha recommends a four-point plan for the weekends:

Stories in this Section
Fragrant and unforgettable

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line