Doctor explains when post-holiday weight gain is temporary and when it signals health issues

Returning from holidays often means bringing back a few extra kilograms, but understanding when this weight gain is a temporary side effect and when it signals more serious health problems is crucial. Family doctor Gabrielė Gergelienė offers guidance on this common post-vacation concern.

Dr. Gergelienė's primary recommendation is to re-evaluate lifestyle habits. She suggests returning to a regular routine for the first two weeks, focusing on consistent sleep, normal eating patterns, increased physical activity, and adequate hydration. "Very often, the weight does not disappear on its own," she notes.

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Very often, the weight does not disappear on its own.

She explains that post-holiday weight gain isn't always indicative of illness. It can stem from temporary changes such as consuming saltier or more calorie-dense foods, drinking alcohol, reduced physical activity, and disrupted sleep schedules. If these factors were temporary, the associated weight gain often is too. However, if the weight remains elevated, continues to increase, or has been steadily rising for years, it's time to seek medical advice.

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If a person has gained 5–10 kilograms in a few months without significant lifestyle changes, or if their weight consistently increases each year, it's a signal that they cannot manage it alone and need to seek help from a doctor without delay.

"If a person has gained 5–10 kilograms in a few months without significant lifestyle changes, or if their weight consistently increases each year, it's a signal that they cannot manage it alone and need to seek help from a doctor without delay," states the family doctor. Concerns should also arise if Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 25 kg/m², accompanied by high blood pressure, shortness of breath, snoring, daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, increased thirst, or frequent urination. These symptoms can indicate not only overweight or obesity but also their complications, such as hypertension, elevated blood sugar or lipids, and sleep disorders.

When assessing weight, doctors begin with a weighing and calculate the BMI, where 25–29.9 kg/m² suggests overweight and 30 kg/m² or more indicates obesity. Doctors also consider waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, weight change history, previous weight management attempts, dietary habits, physical activity, sleep quality, emotional state, medications, and any co-existing conditions. Further tests for glucose, lipids, liver and kidney function, and thyroid levels may be performed. Family history, particularly of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular diseases, also plays a role, though Dr. Gergelienė emphasizes that genetics predispose but do not dictate destiny. "Genetics are very important and can determine a predisposition to certain diseases, but they are not a sentence. One can inherit a tendency, but not a fate. Therefore, a person who struggles to control their weight is not lazy or lacking willpower," she concludes.

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Genetics are very important and can determine a predisposition to certain diseases, but they are not a sentence. One can inherit a tendency, but not a fate. Therefore, a person who struggles to control their weight is not lazy or lacking willpower.