Fat Weekends

For many Americans, any weekend can turn into a Fat Weekend, leading to several pounds gained yearly.

To find out why, researchers tracked data on the eating and drinking habits of 14,000 volunteers, for a study reported in the journal Obesity Research, mathematically filtering out other influences. The difference in what people consumed during the week and on weekends was significant, particularly for 19 to 50 year-olds, who scarfed up 115 more calories per day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Now for the perfect excuse: we’re simply satisfying a craving for comfort foods induced by the stress of a difficult week, says a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers at the University of California, San Francisco say only 24 hours after activating a chronic stress, chemicals called glucocorticoids kick in, encouraging pleasure-seeking behaviors — like devouring junk foods.

And if that’s not good enough, we have all those studies touting wine and beer benefits for longevity and heart health. And now, studies show beer may help protect against gall and kidney stones.

But you know the real antidote to fat weekends: energy in equals energy out. Sorry to say it — moderation.