Why you want to eat more in winter: what studies have found

The seasonal difference in eating is real, but smaller than it feels. In studies people ate 86–222 kcal a day more in autumn than in spring and gained about half a kilogram on average over the winter. Below is what exactly was measured, where the pull towards carbohydrates comes from, and when it is a symptom rather than a habit.

How much more people eat in autumn and winter

The first notable study was by John de Castro (Physiology & Behavior, 1991). 315 adults at different times of year spent seven days recording everything they ate, when, and how hungry they felt. Calorie intake in the diaries was higher in autumn, mainly from carbohydrates. Meals were larger and eaten faster, and after meals in autumn people rated their hunger higher even though they had eaten more. The author suggested that a seasonal rhythm weakens satiety even with modern heating and lighting.

Fifteen years later a similar question was tested on another sample. In the study by Ma and colleagues (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006), 593 adults in Massachusetts were followed quarterly for a year. In autumn they ate 86 kcal a day more than in spring. They were least active in winter. Body weight varied by about half a kilogram over the year, peaking in winter. The authors compared their data with de Castro's study, where the autumn–spring difference was 222 kcal a day, and concluded that seasonal changes in their sample were small overall.

The holidays: what December weighs

The best-known measurement is the study by Yanovski and colleagues (New England Journal of Medicine, 2000). 195 adults were weighed from autumn to spring. Between mid-November and early January weight rose by 0.37 kg on average. Participants believed they had gained four times as much. Fewer than 10% gained 2.3 kg or more.

By March the average gain since autumn was 0.48 kg, and it had not gone by the following autumn. Of all the factors studied, only two were linked to weight change over the holidays: how much less people moved and how much hungrier they felt.

One festive dinner changes little. The shift comes from weeks with less movement and slightly more food every day. How to count a festive meal is covered in the articles on holiday meal calories and eating at someone else's home.

Carbohydrate cravings and seasonal affective disorder

For some people winter appetite is a symptom. The US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes seasonal affective disorder as a type of depression that starts in late autumn or early winter and goes away in spring. The winter pattern typically includes oversleeping, overeating with a craving for carbohydrates and weight gain, and social withdrawal.

NIMH distinguishes this disorder from the "holiday blues" — sadness or anxiety caused by stress at certain times of year. For a diagnosis, episodes must recur in the same season for at least two consecutive years.

Reasons to see a doctor — a GP or a psychiatrist:

• low mood lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or longer;
• you have lost interest in things you used to enjoy, and you have no energy even after sleep;
• this happens every winter.

If you have thoughts of death or of harming yourself, call your local emergency number or seek help immediately rather than waiting for an appointment.

Seasonal affective disorder is treatable. The NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health writes in its digest on seasonal affective disorder that light therapy is a standard treatment and that antidepressants have also been shown to help. Vitamin D on its own is not considered an effective treatment. A doctor chooses the approach.

Cold, sleep and movement

For someone who spends the day indoors, the energy spent on keeping warm is small. What is known about cold exposure and brown fat is covered in a separate article.

People walk less in winter. In the Ma study activity was lowest in winter, and in the Yanovski study less activity was one of the two factors linked to weight gain. If your step count has dropped, your phone's step counter shows it. How many steps a day you actually need is covered in a separate article.

Short days also shift sleep. How lack of sleep relates to appetite is explained in the article on sleep and weight.

What to do about it

There is no need to forbid yourself winter food. It is more useful to find out where exactly the extra comes from.

• Log a week of meals. Compared with a week in September, it shows what changed: portions, snacks, or a dinner that became later and heavier.
• Compare winter steps with autumn ones. If they have dropped noticeably, putting walking back into your schedule is easier than cutting food.
• Eat filling meals during the day. If you are hungrier in the evening than in summer, look at how filling your breakfast and lunch were. This is covered in the article on evening overeating.
• Tell hunger from appetite. The difference is explained in the article on hunger and appetite.

Count it from a photo

Frequently asked questions

Why do I want to eat more in winter?

In studies people ate 86–222 kcal a day more in autumn than in spring and moved less in winter. For some people winter overeating with carbohydrate cravings is a symptom of seasonal affective disorder.

How much weight do people gain over the holidays?

In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, weight rose by 0.37 kg on average between mid-November and early January. Participants thought they had gained four times as much, but the gain had not gone by the following autumn.

Why do I crave sweets and bread in winter?

In food diaries the share of carbohydrates rose most in autumn. Strong carbohydrate cravings together with oversleeping and low mood every winter are a reason to see a doctor.

Does vitamin D help with the winter blues?

According to a digest by the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, vitamin D on its own is not considered an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy is a standard treatment and is prescribed by a doctor.

Read next

• Hunger and appetite: how they differ — These are two different mechanisms, and they are constantly confused.
• How sleep loss affects appetite and weight — Sleep usually turns up in the last paragraph of a weight-loss article, phrased vaguely enough to be safe.
• Cold exposure and brown fat: how many calories an ice bath actually costs — Brown fat is one of the rare cases where the elegant mechanism turns out to be real: the tissue genuinely converts fat into heat, bypassing the usual route.

Topics: Appetite and stress · Sleep and routine · Gatherings · What the research shows

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.

Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.