A concern for travelers is gaining weight on their trips. However being in a foreign country with delicious must-try cuisine can be hard to ignore. There are certain countries where people are likely to pack on the pounds while visiting.
According to a UK survey conducted by Fly Thomas Cook, travelers are most likely to put on weight in countries like Cyprus and Turkey than any other popular travel destinations. With these countries known for their delicacies like their kebabs, kofte, and sugary baklava, it's no surprise that travelers gain an average of 1.38kg (3 lbs) and 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) while visiting them, as reported by The Independent.
Portugal and the United States are also countries where UK travelers are likely to get a little thicker around the middle. Those who visit Portugal gain an average of 1.30kg (2.8 lbs) and those who take a trip to the United States gain 1.08kg (2.4 lbs) of weight.
The survey also took note of the healthier travel destinations where travelers actually lost weight. They include Ireland, Canada and Germany. However those who take a staycation are also likely to stay fit as people who took a staycation in the UK only gained an average of 0.24kg (0.5 lbs).
A majority of the people surveyed found vacation weight gain unavoidable as half said they gained weight during their breaks. However a fifth of respondents said they actually lost weight on their trips.
Of those surveyed, men had the most fluctuations in their weight gain and loss on vacation. Of those who put on weight, men gained an average of 2.53kg (5.6lbs) while women only gained 0.65kg (1.4 lbs). Of those who lost weight on their breaks, men lost 3.27kg (7.2 lbs) on average while women only lost 1.1kg (2.4 lbs).
The reason for the weight gain among travelers was due to travelers eating out more often on vacation. Travlers also increase their alcohol consumption and exercise gets put on the backburner. All-you-can eat buffets, found at many Mediterranean hotels may also have something to do with the fact that those who visited Cyprus and Turker gained the most weight.
Here are the top 10 countries in which people gain weight when visiting on vacation.
1. Cyprus + 1.5kg (3.3 lbs)
2. Turkey + 1.38kg (3 lbs)
3. Portugal + 1.30kg (2.8 lbs)
4. United States + 1.08kg (2.4 lbs)
5. Greece + 0.92kg (2 lbs)
6. Netherlands + 0.83kg (1.8 lbs)
7. France + 0.51kg (1.1 lbs)
8. Australia + 0.5kg (1.1 lbs)
9. Italy + 0.44kg (0.97 lbs)
10. Belgium + 0.33kg (0.7 lbs)
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
