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Weight Gain During Football Season? It's a Wing Thing, Say Experts

By Michelle Durham

NEW YORK, N.Y. (CBS) -- A recent study conducted by a professor and a doctoral student at an international business school indicates that fans of poorly performing NFL teams may gain more weight than those who cheer for winning teams.

With the Eagles opening their regular season tonight on "Monday Night Football," it's worth a moment to consider.

So, is this is a case of folks drowning their sorrows in foods loaded with polyunsaturated fats?

Emily Rubin, a registered dietitician in Jefferson University Hospital's gastroenterology department, says yes.

Rubin calls it  a "comfort food" issue.  She says that during the game people are often eating while not paying attention to what they eat.

Then, she says, when your team loses, depression can set in and you may wind up eating even more as you clean up and watch the replays.

If your team wins, on the other hand, you are more likely to find yourself high-fiving your friends and talking about the game.

Rubin also notes that a single chicken wing contains at least 100 calories -- or more, depending upon how much blue cheese you slather on.  She notes that the wings are fried with the skin on, so you could consume thousands of calories without noticing.

Her advice is talking over the loss with friends rather than reaching for another wing.  She also suggests that, win or lose, fans switch to baked tortilla chips and drink more water than beer.

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