According to The New England Journal of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and the American Dietetic Association, significant weight gain over the holidays is a big fat myth. The weight gain comes after the holidays, when people don't drop that one little pound.

A study of 195 adults demonstrated — from late September to early March — the majority put on 1.06 pounds in six months' time. A year after the study began, 165 of the participants were weighed again. On average, they were each up about 1.36 pounds from their initial weights.

People who were overweight or obese to begin with were more likely to gain five pounds or more during the initial six-month season, according to the study, which appeared in a March 2000 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

On the bright side, you are not condemned to gain 5-6 lb between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Be aware, however, even just a little weight gain — if it continues — can lead to problems beyond just struggling to buckle your belt. Continued weight gain may come with a compounding risk of musculoskeletal pain.

According to research*, there is a positive correlation between increased body fat and widespread and single-site joint pain in the low-back, knee and foot. Longitudinal studies suggest elevated body fat may infer increased risk of incident and worsening joint pain.

Take-home — you can still enjoy the homemade stuffing and apple pie — just be mindful of the long-term implications associated with weight gain; especially if you are already struggling with body composotin and musculoskeletal pain.

*(Walsh, T.P., Arnold, J.B., Evans, A.M. et al. The association between body fat and musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord19, 233 (2018)