Background/Objectives: The winter holiday period is often associated with lifestyle changes that can affect body composition. This study aimed to evaluate short-term changes in body composition and anthropometric indices over the winter holidays. Methods: A total of 168 adults (126 women and 42 men) were assessed before (December) and after (January) the holidays using bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 770) and standard anthropometric measurements. Participants also completed a Healthy Eating Assessment questionnaire to evaluate their dietary habits during this period. Results: After the holiday, statistically significant increases were observed in weight (68.55 → 69.70 kg), body fat mass (20.60 → 21.15 kg), visceral fat area (95.40 → 97.60 cm²), and waist circumference (84.30 → 85.08 cm). Men showed greater gains in weight and fat-related parameters compared to women. Participants who reported healthier dietary behaviors had smaller increases in fat mass and anthropometric measures. Conclusions: These findings suggest that even brief holiday periods can lead to measurable gains in weight and body fat and, if repeated over time, may contribute to the development of obesity.

Background and Objectives: Weight gain during winter holidays has been reported in several studies, but most of them focus on short-term changes and rely primarily on body weight or BMI. This study investigates if body composition alterations associated with winter holiday period persist over a one-year follow-up in a Romanian adult population. Materials and Methods: This prospective longitudinal observational study included three assessment points: before the winter holidays (T1), immediately after the holidays (T2), and one year later (T3). Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to obtain body composition parameters. A total of 120 participants completed all three assessments and were included in the longitudinal analysis. Results: Body weight and visceral fat area increased modestly yet significantly between T1 and T2. At the one-year follow-up, values remained similar to those observed immediately after the holiday period, suggesting persistence at group level (body weight: 68.25 → 69.40 → 69.45 kg and visceral fat area: 98.49 → 100.54 → 101.42 cm²). The net change observed during the holiday period was similar in magnitude to the overall annual difference. Changes in body weight were significantly associated with changes in visceral fat both during the holiday period and across the entire follow-up. Conclusions: Modest increases in body weight and visceral fat observed during the winter holidays were still present at one year. These findings suggest that short seasonal periods may contribute to overall annual changes in body weight and fat distribution.

Obesity is usually classified or assessed using the body mass index (BMI), mainly because BMI is simple and easy to apply. Its simplicity is also its main weakness. BMI does not measure fat mass, fat-free mass, or fat distribution. This is a relevant limitation, since individuals with the same BMI may have different amounts of visceral adipose tissue and different cardiometabolic risks. Recent recommendations from the Commission on Clinical Obesity also emphasize that BMI should be used mainly as a screening tool, while excess adiposity should be confirmed using additional anthropometric or body composition measures. This narrative review examines clinical methods for obesity assessment beyond BMI and discusses their practical value in routine care. A literature search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published up to August 2026. Guidelines, consensus statements, reviews, meta-analyses, and original studies were considered. The review focused on anthropometric indices, body composition techniques, and imaging-based methods used to assess adiposity, fat distribution, and obesity-related risk. The reviewed evidence supports a complementary approach. Anthropometric indices help evaluate abdominal adiposity and cardiometabolic risk. Body composition methods add information on fat mass, fat-free mass, and regional distribution. Imaging techniques offer the most detailed assessment of visceral, subcutaneous, and ectopic fat, although their routine use is limited by cost, availability, technical requirements, or radiation exposure. BMI remains useful for initial screening, but it is not sufficient for a complete obesity assessment. Combining anthropometric, body composition, and imaging-based methods may improve the evaluation of excess adiposity, fat distribution, and clinical risk.