Christmas 2024: Christmas cookies are synonymous with the festive season. On the day of Christmas, we wake up to the warm smell f freshly baked cookies, right out of the oven. But, is it helping our sugar intake or our sugar restrictions? A recent study says, maybe not. The study published in Acta Psychologica stated that festive, colourful cookies look more appetizing than their sugar-free counterparts, hence accelerating our sugar intake. Also read | Christmas 2024: You must try this delicious eggless cookie dough pudding with just 5 ingredients this holiday season
Christmas is the time when people indulge in sugary treats, which can lead to seasonal weight gain. High sugar foods are featured during the festive season, which also increase the tendencies in people to cave in to their cravings.
Usually sugary treats have nutritional labelling, adopted worldwide, to enable consumers to make informed choices about their nutritional intake. However, their effectiveness, especially during the festive season, remains unclear. Some of the previous studies also indicated that nutritional labels can also increase cravings in some cases.
Findings of the study:
The study was conducted on 58 participants aged 17 to 49 years, most of whom had a normal body mass index and celebrated Christmas. The participants were asked to wear mobile eye-tracking glasses while viewing a buffet table consisting of four cookies (with and without sugar, and with or without Christmas associations) and two non-food items (gift-wrapped presents labeled as Christmas or birthday presents). Also read | Tasty and easy-to-make cookies for your pre-Christmas cravings
The gaze patterns of the participants were recorded, and it was observed that Christmas-associated items drew more attention of the participants than their non-festive counterparts. Participants also responded that they found sugar-containing cookies more desirable than the sugar-free ones.
Sugary treats vs. sugar-free counterparts:
When the participants were given a choice between a high-calorie gingerbread cookie and a low-calorie clementine, majority of the participants opted for the high-calorie option, denoting that sugary treats are more desired even with health awareness.
“Particularly during the Christmas season, exclusively emphasising the nutritional value of foods might yield outcomes contrary to the intended goals. Approaches aiming to prevent holiday-related weight gain should thus adopt a multifaceted perspective, avoiding exclusive fixation on the sugar content of Christmas treats,” the researchers said. Also read | Christmas 2024: Why we celebrate the festival on December 25? Know history, significance and more
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.