By Cliff White and Amanda Estes

Staff Writers

The holiday season can be a relaxing break from school or work, but
while you are celebrating, your waistline may be suffering, says Dr.
Tory Rogers, a physician who specializes in childhood obesity. Rogers
serves as a physician consultant to Let’s Go!, an organization working
to improve health, especially among children, in the greater Portland
area.

The average adult gains about a pound of weight during the holiday
season, according to a 2000 study performed by the New England Journal
of Medicine, and a National Center for Education Statistics study
showed that children tend to gain weight when out of school.

“No doubt about it, this is a tough time of year to stay healthy,”
Rogers says. “There’s an awful lot of yummy food out there, and with
tough weather, it can be difficult to get outside and exercise.”

Rogers has several recommendations for those who wish to become more
aware of healthy choices they can make in their everyday lives,
especially those looking to stave off holiday weight gains.

“You don’t have to change your whole life around. You don’t have to
live like a different person,” Rogers says. “The key is making small
steps. You won’t believe all the small little things that can really
make a difference in reducing calorie consumption, and making you a
healthier person.”

Rogers says regular exercise is important in maintaining a healthy
lifestyle. Even small bursts of exercise are helpful – a daily walk of
10 or 15 minutes is a great way to get physical activity, Rogers says.

“You don’t need to have skis, skates or other expensive equipment to go
outside in winter and have fun while getting some exercise,” Rogers
says. “Getting out and building a snowman, or shoveling snow, or just
horsing around outside are all good ways to get in the exercise.”

The walking track at the South Portland Community Center tends to be
popular year round, but the number of walkers increase after the
holidays, says Ollie LaChapelle, who staffs the center’s front desk.

“We get a lot of grimaces from people when they hear we’re closed for
the holidays,” LaChapelle says. “The following is tremendous.”

South Portland Community Center Operations Manager Deb Smith says the
number of people visiting the center increases dramatically during
January, February and March. There could be as many as 450 people
visiting the center in a day, she says. Once the snow melts, more
people will choose to exercise outdoors, but Smith says the center is
never empty.

Jen Jellison, co-owner of Snap Fitness on Broadway in South Portland,
is also expecting to see an increase in the number of people working
out in the next few months. This year she’s noticed some people are
changing their attitude about exercising and viewing it as part of a
lifestyle change and not just a way to lose a few pounds.

“I’ve noticed more people wording it in the sense, ‘I need to get healthy,’” she says.

 Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables can also have a highly beneficial effect, Rogers says.

“Just five servings of fruits and vegetables are all you need every day, though more never hurts,” Rogers says.

Rogers mentions two misconceptions people may have about fruits and
vegetables. Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh, and fruit
juice can sometimes not be as healthy as fruit itself.

“People have to make sure they’re buying 100 percent fruit juice and
not mixes or stuff with high fructose corn syrup,” Rogers says. “And
even 100 percent fruit juice is only good in limited amounts. You don’t
want to have fruit juice for all five daily fruit servings – it’s much
better to have actual fruit.”

People are generally unaware of just how much sugar is in some of the
beverages they drink, Rogers says. Specialized coffee drinks, sports
drinks and soda all have high sugar content which is not healthy when
consumed in more than small quantities, says Rogers.

“People are astonished when we show them just how much sugar was in a
24-ounce bottle of soda, or their favorite coffee drink,” Rogers says.
“It’s very important that they try to limit their intake of these
drinks.”

Rogers acknowledges fast food has become a part of many people’s weekly
routines, but says there are healthier alternatives on every menu,
which people should become familiar with and occasionally choose
instead of less healthy meals.

“I’m not saying you have to stop eating hot dogs at sporting events,”
Rogers says. “I’m not saying you have to stop eating all the less
healthy food we all like. It’s just you shouldn’t have that food every
day.”

 Rogers, as a pediatrician, had extra advice for families with children.

“Screen time for television and video games should definitely be
limited,” Rogers says. “Parents themselves sometimes shy away from the
video games, but I tell parents to go there and try Wii, play Guitar
Hero or Dance, Dance Revolution (DDR) – games that are more active and
can get you active. Plus, being a role model to your kids and spending
time with them is shown to help with keeping them at healthier weights,
as well.”

Rogers warns parents against rewarding their children with food.

“We have done studies that show kids get as much as 1,800 calories a
day from food they get as a reward,” Rogers says. “Encouraging kids
with physical activity, such as 30 minutes of DDR, rather than with a
trip to a pizza place, is healthier and can actually make parents’ busy
lives a lot easier.”

Rogers sympathized with the difficulty of the task facing parents.

“We know parents are overwhelmed with parenting to begin with,” Rogers
says. “We don’t want to add complication to parents’ lives, we just
want to help show them how to do the things they are already doing,
better.”