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Cited by 281Obesity, Physical Activity, DietNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorHealth and Lifestyle Studies

Seasonal variation in food intake, physical activity, and body weight in a predominantly overweight population

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Ma, Y, Olendzki, B C, Li, W, Hafner, A R, Chiriboga, D, Hebert, J R, Campbell, M, Sarnie, M +1 more·2006·European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602346PMC PMC1428793
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Abstract

Objective To describe seasonal variation in food intake, physical activity, and body weight in a predominantly overweight population.Design A longitudinal observational study.Setting Most of the study participants were recruited from a health maintenance organization (HMO) in central Massachusetts, USA. Additional individuals of Hispanic descent were recruited from outside of the HMO population to increase the ethnic diversity of this sample.Subjects Data from 593 participants, aged 20-70, were used for this investigation. Each participant was followed quarterly (five sampling points: baseline and four consecutive quarters) for 1-year period. Body weight measurements and three 24-h dietary and physical activity recalls were obtained on randomly selected days (including 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day) per quarter. Sinusoidal regression models were used to estimate peak-to-trough amplitude and phase of the peaks.Results Daily caloric intake was higher by 86 kcal/day during the fall compared to the spring. Percentage of calories from carbohydrate, fat and saturated fat showed slight seasonal variation, with a peak in the spring for carbohydrate and in the fall for total fat and saturated fat intake. The lowest physical activity level was observed in the winter and the highest in the spring. Body weight varied by about 1/2 kg throughout the year, with a peak in the winter (P<0.001 winter versus summer). Greater seasonal variation was observed in subjects who were male, middle aged, nonwhite, and less educated.Conclusions Although there is seasonal variation in diet, physical activity and body weight, the magnitude of the change is generally small in this population.Sponsorship US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

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Crossref · 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602346

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  • The increased risk of weight gain during the holiday season is postulated to be caused by stress associated with the holidays, increased caloric intake, and/or a decline in physical activity.

    “This is postulated to be caused by stress associated with the holidays, increased caloric intake, and/or a decline in physical activity [6].”

    From The effect of the Thanksgiving Holiday on weight gain (2006) · cites this paper as [6]

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Authors
Ma, Y., Olendzki, B. C., Li, W., Hafner, A. R., Chiriboga, D., Hebert, J. R., Campbell, M., Sarnie, M., & Ockene, I. S.
Affiliations
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
Corresponding author
Ma, Y
ORCID
Venue
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2005-12-07
Volume
60
Issue
4
Pages
519-528
ISSN
  • 0954-3007 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5640
DOI
10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602346
PMC
PMC1428793
OpenAlex
W2094347110
Cited by
281
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 16
FWCI
6.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network (American Medical Association) (submittedVersion)
  • Scholar Commons (University of South Carolina) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01hl052745-04, 5r21hl074895-02)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1 R21 HL074895-01, R21 HL074895, R01 HL 52745)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Lifestyle Studies
Keywords
seasonal variation, dietary intake, physical activity, body weight, overweight, energy intake, macronutrient intake, saturated fat, carbohydrate intake, dietary habits, Hispanic population, seasonal diet variation
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Body Weight, Diet, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Massachusetts, Middle Aged, Obesity, Regression Analysis, Seasons, Time Factors, Exercise, Sex Distribution

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