Correct! The average American gains less than 1 pound during the holidays

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Many myths surround the holiday season, including the oft-heard "statistic" that Americans typically gain 5 pounds.

But the only comprehensive scientific study, reported a few years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most of us gain less than 1 pound from Thanksgiving through New Years.

There are some footnotes to the study. People who already are obese tend to gain more weight during the holidays than those who have been practicing weight control. And most of us don't shed the holiday weight we do gain. There also is a concern among some nutritionists about the amount of refined sugar and saturated fat that sneaks into the holiday diet.

Other holiday myths -- think flying reindeer -- may be harder to disprove. But the weight gain myth has been dispelled by scientific research.

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Correct! The average American gains less than 1 pound - FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans News, Weather, Sports

Correct! The average American gains less than 1 pound during the holidays

Our Daily Holiday QuizMore>>

What is Sarah Hale's contribution to the holiday season?

What is Sarah Hale's contribution to the holiday season?

How does Santa get to the Netherlands?

How does Santa get to the Netherlands?

Most Popular StoriesMost Popular StoriesMore>>

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Police search for missing New Orleans East woman

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Parents want student's drug death to be a lesson

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Thousands of bridges at risk of freak collapse

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JP investigators seek clues in father-son deaths case

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Father, son found dead in River Ridge home

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JPSO deputies search for missing girl

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Woman wanted for questioning in aggravated battery

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Perricone: "I did nothing wrong" in anonymous commenting

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Metairie woman pours boiling water on boyfriend

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