According to an online US survey, 1 in 4 football fans claim to have gained an average of 10 pounds during football season.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Nutrisystem by Harris Interactive, found that out of 1,283 American football fans polled in early January 2024, 25 percent reported that they gained weight during the football season. For those that reported weight gain, the average was 10 pounds, while 16 percent admitted they gained 20 pounds or more.
Here’s another shocker: According to the USDA, the Super Bowl is the second largest food consumption day behind Thanksgiving. Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks, with the average football fan consuming 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat, reports The Calorie Control Council. And that’s just from snacking- it doesn’t even take into to account all the alcohol and calorie-laden beverages that are also consumed.
This weight gain can be made even worse if you’re a fan of the losing team. According to a recent study published in Psychological Science, fans of the losing team tend to load up on saturated fats and sugars the Monday after the big game, whereas fans of the winning team opt for healthier foods.
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