Holiday weight gain in university students

Abstract

The main objective of our study was to analyse body weight and fat mass variation during Christmas holidays in university students. We assessed body mass index (BMI) and fat mass in four occasions: pre-holiday, holiday period, post-holiday and one year after the first visit, and 54 female university students completed the study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used to compare BMI and body composition data in the follow-up period. Weight, BMI, and fat mass increased significantly (p < 0.05) from pre-holiday to post-holiday; BMI and fat mass decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from post-holiday to one year after the first visit, but the mean values were still higher than those obtained in the first visit (p < 0.05). These differences should be considered in clinical interventions for individuals seeking a better body weight control.