Shamed to look in the mirror after gorging yourself over the Christmas? It might come as a small consolation that you’re not alone, certainly not in this country.
According to a survey carried out by Aviva Health Insurance, one in four Irish people put on approximately 3lb as a result of too much food, too much beer and too much of all the trimmings we’re only too happy to gobble down once the Christmas comes around.
A further 23 per cent gained around 2lb, while over a quarter of Irish people admitted to guzzling down at least ten more units of alcohol in Christmas week than they usually would, or to put in terms a boozehound is more likely to understand, three extra pints of beer or three and a half extra glasses of wine.
Despite far milder conditions than 2010’s Siberian-like Winter, exercise went out the window over the festive season, with a little less than half of those surveyed admitting to not doing a tap of physical activity, blaming laziness, bad weather and their right to a rest as their reasons for not getting up off the couch.
Aviva Health Insurance say that the figures are a concern and that we should be make it our business to get into shape in the New Year.
“Every year, I see my patients resolve to get back into shape in the new year, however, being proactive about your health is much more than losing weight in the short term,” said Aviva Medical Council GP Dr Stephen Murphy.
“Even just 30 minutes of exercise three times a week can have a huge impact on your energy and stress levels, sleeping patterns, and risk of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.”
So if you’re one of the many thinking of putting that new fitness regime off for just one more week, maybe have a quick sideways glance in the mirror and think again.
