A new study says the dark days of winter may contribute to seasonal weight gain.
Despite our best efforts to remain thin, it seems that during the holiday season, we put on a lot of weight. Why is that? A new study has a surprising answer.
Plenty of us are familiar with the holiday weight phenomenon. But while it is true that during the holidays we’re more exposed to delicious food than the rest of the year, some studies have shown that in winter, we continue to pack on the pounds despite conscious efforts to lose them. Why?
A new study — by researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada — reveals an unexpected culprit for winter weight gain: the absence of sunlight.
The researchers, who were led by the auspiciously named Peter Light — from the Alberta Diabetes Institute — examined the effect of sunlight on subcutaneous fat cells, or white fat cells that can be found right beneath our skin.
The results of their investigation make this a breakthrough study, and it was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
