Britons Gain Weight because of Summer Barbeques
A recent piece of research by a British money saving website found that two thirds of people in the United Kingdom gain more weight during the summer months than at any other time during the year. It seems that this is because so many people have barbeques during these months.
A recent survey conducted by a money saving website in the UK showed that 67% of people in this country gain more weight during the summer months than during any other time of year. Indeed, even Christmas and New Year, time periods traditionally associated with weight gain, did not lead to as much pound piling as the summer months. Through the study, it was found that people at an average of 1,000 calories more than what they would during any other meal.
The study had been completed by Voucher Codes Pro. It looked at 2,196 people from all over the United Kingdom. They aimed to reveal more information about the eating habits of people in this country and how this links to their overall health. All participants were at least 18 years of age as well as being residents of the United Kingdom.
The first question that was asked of people was whether they had noticed any periods of time during which they would traditionally put on weight. While it was expected that the response would focus on the Christmas period, it was found that 67% notice weight gain between June and September, the summer months.
If people stated that they would experience weight gain over the summer months, they would then be asked if they knew what the reasons behind this was. 58%, a clear majority, stated that it was because they ate at too many barbeques. Additionally, 34% of respondents said that their increased alcohol consumption, cocktails and cider in particular, was to blame for their weight gain.
Voucher Codes Pro wanted to find out more about how lifestyles during the summer affected individual people. Hence, each participant was then asked how high they estimated their calorie consumption to be during a single barbeque. From these responses, the average of 1,775 was calculated by the researching working on the survey. Participants were also asked how many calories they would during any other, regular meal, and the answer was 650 calories on average, more than 1,000 calories less than at a barbeque.
The study then looked into what people actually ate during barbeques. The survey provided them with a list of popular options, which respondents could tick. This showed which barbeque foods were the most popular of all, and they were:
- Hot dogs, consumed by 63% of respondents.
- Cheeseburgers, consumed by 59% of respondents.
- Chicken wings, consumed by 54% of respondents.
- Crisps and dips, consumed by 48% of respondents.
- Kebabs, consumed by 44% of respondents.
Due to the high percentages on each of these answers, it is clear that most people will also eat more than one type of meat at each barbeque.
A comment has been received by Nick Swan, who works for Voucher Codes Pro and had intensive involvement with the study itself.
“I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a good barbecue. From hot dogs to cheeseburgers, traditional BBQ cuisine is one of the UK’s favourite summertime treats – and who can blame us!”
He then said:
“It is important, however, to ensure that you exercise regularly and keep yourself active to avoid putting on extra weight during summer. BBQ foods aren’t exactly the healthiest, so people need to make sure that they keep themselves fit and have some salad on their plate along with all the burgers and sausages!”
