Narrator: This is Science Today. With the holiday season in full swing, many worry about starting the New Year off with some post-celebration weight gain. But dietician Linda Gigliotti, director of the University of California, Irvine's Weight Management Program, says partygoers can do a few things to control overeating; the first tip is never arrive hungry.

Gigliotti: The tendency is to think, "oh, I won't have anything to eat all day - I'll save up my calories for the party, the buffet, the dinner tonight". And yet when we do that, we arrive ravenous and are much more likely to overeat, over consume food calories at that special event. We would be far wiser to make sure that we are consuming low calorie foods through the day, consuming adequate water and staying hydrated through the day, so that we feel more in control when we arrive at that holiday dinner, the buffet, the social event - we're in control and then can be much more selective for the foods and beverages that we consume.

Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.