According to recent research the average person consumes between 6,000 and 7,000 calories on Christmas Day.
Given the average woman needs 2,000 calories a day, that's equivalent to at least 3 days worth of calories on that day alone, before you even begin to consider all the other high days and holidays, parties and social events.
The fact is that most of us consume way too much food over the Christmas period. The result? We pile on the pounds!
So, for a bit of fun before Christmas I thought it would be good to share with you how much it would take to burn off 4,000 extra calories - the amount an average woman would over-eat by on Christmas Day.
To burn off 4,000 calories it would take an 11 stone person:-
4 hours of running at 10mph
4.6 hours of skipping with a rope
5.7 hours of hiking with a 30lb load
6.8 hours of shovelling snow
7.4 hours on a rowing machine
8.3 hours on a stair climber machine
9.5 hours scrubbing floors
10.3 hours of downhill skiing
11.6 hours of aerobic dancing
12.1 hours of playing tennis (doubles)
13.3 hours of weeding
14.8 hours of housework
15.6 hours of mopping floors
16.6 hours of walking (20 minute mile)
17.8 hours of window cleaning
19.0 hours of playing golf (without a cart)
22.2 hours of grocery shopping
24.3 hours of bowling
26.6 hours of ironing
(If you're lighter it would take more time and if you're heavier less)
So the question is: are all those calories in that second helping of turkey dinner or big slab of Christmas cake worth 8.3 hours on a stair climber machine or 26.6 hours of ironing!?