For most, Thanksgiving is all about the big meal. The turkey, which may be roasted, smoked, brined or deep fried, side dishes, followed by pies (yes, multiple — pecan? pumpkin? apple?) typically amount to a buffet of choices. While many people can enjoy this abundance without much issue, for others, the focus on food during the holidays and encouragement from friends and family to eat more than usual can also spark anxiety. But is there a reason to worry about overeating during the holidays when it comes to your health?
What is overeating? What are the negative side effects?
When we talk about overeating, we often mean “eating past the point of comfortable fullness,” says Brenna O’Malley, a dietitian and founder of the Wellful.
In the short term, overeating can cause symptoms like:
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Acid reflux
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Tiredness
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Stomach pain
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Bloating
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Gas
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Heartburn
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Nausea
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Elevated blood sugar
In the short term, most symptoms of overeating pass. However, chronic overeating can come with a slew of health issues.
One risk of chronic overeating is that it can cause insulin resistance. When your blood sugar spikes, as it does when you overeat, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose from your blood into your cells for energy. Insulin resistance means that cells won’t accept the glucose that insulin is trying to deliver, and that can lead to weight gain, as well as fatigue. When left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, which must be addressed with medication, diet and lifestyle changes.
Chronic overeating can also stop you from understanding your hunger cues, thanks to something called leptin resistance. Leptin is the hormone that regulates our hunger and energy, and it helps us know when we should stop eating. When we overeat regularly, however, the production of that hormone is thrown out of whack. That can ultimately lead us to overeat more, and therefore gain weight, because we aren’t aware that our stomachs are full.
When we overeat regularly, we may also not be fueling our bodies properly with the right kinds of food. For example, it may be easier to overeat candy, which has little nutritional value and no hunger-satisfying elements like protein or fiber, than it is to overeat protein or vegetables. When you aren’t giving your body the nutrition it needs, you can be at risk for things like elevated triglycerides, which can occur when you eat too many refined carbs or sugars.
Overeating and mental health
Often the reaction to overeating is just as much a mental one as it is physical. “Sometimes there’s an inner dialogue that comes up, that includes shame or guilt. You may think ‘Oh no, what’s going to happen now that I overate?’” says O’Malley.
While our brains might spiral on the notion that one bigger meal — or even several bigger meals in a short period — might have catastrophic effects on our bodies, that’s not the case. Dietitian Marissa Meshulam says that while overeating consistently for a month could lead to weight gain, “research shows that most of us don’t even gain a pound this time of year.
“It’s important to remember that weight gain does not happen from one meal or even one day or weekend of eating,” she says. “No meal can make or break anything.”
Joel Totoro, director of sports science at Thorne Research, says that while it’s easy to look at our food consumption in terms of the day-to-day, and even meal by meal, our bodies can “adjust to highs and lows in the short term.”
“I look at averages over months and years instead of the daily fluctuations in total food consumed,” he explains.
The holidays are about more than just food
It’s important to remember that holiday food isn’t just about calories. “Aside from providing energy and nutrients to sustain us, food and eating meals have a social component,” Totoro adds. “The holiday season is a time for celebration, social connection and enjoyment of unique culinary experiences. Food is not just fuel but also a cultural and social connector. Sharing a meal with loved ones can enhance well-being and contribute to a sense of community, which are essential aspects of a healthy lifestyle.”
O’Malley says that when we think of the holidays, it’s best to “zoom out a little bit” and remind ourselves of that bigger picture. One meal, or even a series of meals, won’t greatly impact our lifestyles, especially if we resume our normal routines after the holidays are over. That may be hard to understand if you see major changes on the scale, but O’Malley reminds us that our weight may fluctuate as much as seven pounds over the day, due to things like fluid retention and hormones.
How we can feel less stressed about overeating
Still, O’Malley knows that the holidays can be a challenging time for some people around food, not just because of the fear of overeating, but because the holidays alter our routines. Even though there may be a big meal coming at the end of the day, she recommends eating “something substantial in the morning” so that you aren’t starving and prone to eating past your comfort level.
Overeating is often associated with being out of our routines. While it may not be realistic — or desirable — to adjust the holiday menu to something closer to what you typically enjoy, O’Malley recommends “adding in things that feel familiar to our typical routine.” That can include healthy, fun movement: If you usually workout at the gym, but are visiting family for the holidays, taking a walk (either with or away from your family) can make you “feel good” — without focusing on food.
Totoro says you can even “incorporate some physical activity into these holiday festivities,” whether that’s “backyard football on Thanksgiving, a walk with the family after dinner, or even dancing the night away” as a way to enrich the social aspects of the season.
O’Malley reminds us that it’s important to think about the holidays not as a time of unbridled indulgence, but of a time of year where you “get to spend time with people you love, and eat foods that remind you of people or traditions.”