And I can’t help but wonder what, exactly, the price of all of this holiday-season overeating is, year in and year out. Personally, it feels like I put on at least 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and new Year’s Day, what with the extra sweets, stress and parties full of fattening festive foods and booze-soaked toasts, not to mention the cold weather providing even more disincentive than usual to exercise.

So I was happily surprised to discover that, in reality, the average holiday weight gain is just under a pound, at least according to the classic research on the topic, which was published a decade ago in the new England Journal of Medicine. this NIH study, which followed 195 men and women ages 19 to 82 for up to a year, also found that less than 10 percent of participants gained more than five pounds during these six weeks.

Still, the prognosis isn’t great over the long haul: this research also showed that most weight gain over the course of a year occurs during the holiday quarter and, more important, that we typically don’t shed the pounds we put on.

"It’s definitely a bad cycle," says Robynne Chutkan, assistant professor of gastroenterology at Georgetown University Hospital, who specializes in diet and nutrition. "People put on a pound or two over the holidays because it’s cold and dark, and there’s a lot of comfort food around, but then that new Year’s resolution doesn’t quite get off the ground, and [the extra weight] follows you into 2011." the result is that this minute weight gain might last a lifetime and simply continue to snowball. "A pound or two a year times 10 years can and will add up to a major problem," she says.

The heavier you are, the more difficult the holidays can be from a weight maintenance perspective. indeed, multiple studies have shown that people who are already overweight or obese are significantly more likely to gain more weight during Yuletide, which Chutkan attributes to ingrained habits and behaviors, such as lack of self-control when it comes to food, or not enough physical activity.

That finding is echoed in new research, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research in August, which found that overweight or obese elementary-age children pack on significantly more pounds than their normal-weight peers during the holiday break.

Heavier adults and kids are "generally at higher risk during the holidays," agrees internist Lawrence Cheskin, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore, who adds that although thinner people are not immune to seasonal weight gain, they might compensate for it better by keeping track of the extra pounds and focusing on losing them in the new year.

So what’s the best way to stave off that weight gain? Chad Cook and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin have done research suggesting that it might not be exercise. their study of 443 adults ages 40 to 60, presented at a recent meeting of the Obesity Society, found that even those people who habitually burn more daily calories than predicted for their age and body weight are not protected against holiday weight gain. Cook notes that 75 percent of participants gained at least some weight and nearly a fifth put on 4.4 pounds or more.

Such results echo other research showing that although physical activity is important for mood and cardiovascular fitness, it is relatively inefficient at controlling body weight, says Cheskin. "you can eat in 60 seconds what it would take you two hours at [the] gym to burn off," he explains.

Other experts agree that it makes sense to focus on a healthful holiday diet and on keeping control over your caloric intake, even when you have images of sugarplum fairies – and Mom’ s famous cheese dip – dancing in your head. Baltimore dietitian Angela Ginn has a few seasonal tips:

Cook smart

l Spice it up. Adding spices to your meals will enhance flavor and, more important, might help curb your appetite. Ginn says cayenne pepper might lower food intake, while a blend of curry, ginger, turmeric and cumin might boost metabolism, and thyme might aid in the digestion of fatty foods.

l Grab some gum. Chewing sugarless gum while cooking will discourage you from tasting too much, which can result in a lot of added calories.

l Forget deep-frying. Use lower-fat cooking techniques to create results that are still flavorful but lower in calories.

Eat wise

l be a food snob. Focus on your favorite foods – the ones that are really worth the extra calories – and don’t partake of that pecan pie just because it’s there. Go for small portions, and learn to distinguish between physiological hunger and eating just because those great-looking desserts, or chips, happen to be there.

l Don’t skip meals. have a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast and lunch, and raw vegetables or fruit for a snack, especially if you’re heading out to a party or restaurant, to help you fight the urge to overeat.

l cut back on the booze. Step away from the eggnog, and slash those seasonal-drinking-related calories by alternating a cranberry spritzer, light beer or wine with water or another non-alcoholic beverage.

l keep your attention off the buffet table. "Food is like 90 percent of the holidays . . . but there are so many other special things to focus on during this time of the year," says Chutkan, citing family members and friends and added leisure time. "It’s important to try to detach from all the meals and parties and treats a little bit so there’s some holiday left that’s not completely absorbed by food."

But for those of us who just can’t resist the kids’ holiday cookies, it’s also important to cut ourselves some slack, as long as we get right back on the wagon. "if you do gain some weight in the next few months, it’s okay. you don’t have to beat yourself up about it," Chutkan says. "but you do immediately have to take drastic measures to undo that."