Study: Holiday Weight Gain Sticks Around Until Summer Months

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Did you pack on a few extra pounds over the holiday season? According to a study, that extra weight may take even longer than you thought to shed.

Researchers say while up to half of holiday weight gain is lost shortly after the holidays, half of the weight remains for over six months.

"Of course, the less one gains, the less one then has to worry about trying to lose it," researchers wrote in the report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Scientists used data from wireless scales involving 2,924 participants from across three countries, United States, Germany and Japan.

Researchers found in all three countries, the participants' weight rose within 10 days after Christmas Day.

They found significant weight gain was also observed around other major holidays in each country.

"Advising a patient to have better self-control over the holidays is one approach, yet given the weight-loss patterns, it might be better to advise patients that although up to half of holiday weight gain is lost shortly after the holidays, half the weight gain appears to remain until the summer months or beyond."