The festive season is over, so now is the time to lose that extra weight

CHRISTMAS may be over, but a reminder of the season of over-indulgence is clinging to the waistlines of Huddersfield people.

Too many mince pies and favourite tipples mean the average Brit is starting 2007 carrying an average 5lb of excess baggage.

This adds up to the whole nation lugging around an extra 229m lb.

That's the same weight as two cruise liners, 277 jumbo jets or 38,124 hippos!

A combination of people consuming an extra 250 calories a day and spending lazy days indoors is to blame, says research for the David Lloyd gym chain.

Nutritionist Fiona Hunter says the festive staple regime of fatty foods and less exercise is to blame.

She said: "Everyone always blames the Christmas dinner for our January excess. But the traditional turkey and trimmings are not the real problem.

"For many people the festive eating and drinking starts in early December and lasts until the beginning of January.

"The weight gain is more likely to be the result of four or five weeks of eating and drinking more than usual, combined with a dramatic drop in exercise."

In attempts to regain slimmer figures people are hitting the health food shops, becoming devotees of fad diets and jumping around wildly to a celebrity's fitness DVD.

In the next few weeks, gyms and slimming clubs are expecting a massive increase in new membership figures.

Melanie Jaffier is a consultant for Slimming World and runs groups in Huddersfield and Berry Brow.

She expects a lot of people to sign up for her classes this month.

She said: "We get a lot of people coming along in January who have made New Year's resolutions to lose weight.

"We also see a lot of people who have lapsed from their diet coming back in January," she added.

"It's not just a quick fix for people who join now.

"It's about healthy eating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle."

Melanie says the best way to achieve weight loss is to do it gradually while eating sensibly.

She also believes in the importance of exercise and recommends going for a walk every day.

But Melanie warns people considering taking up quick-fix diets to consider any health risks.

She said: "Some diets have proved to be unhealthy and to put people at risk.

"People should stay away from these.

"At the end of the day weight loss is about being sensible and making the time to do it properly."