A recent study concluded something we all pretty much know – the thinner we are the greater the opportunity for advancement in the business world. The National Institute of Health figures a leaner frame increases your chances of a job promotion about 70% if you’re competing against someone who is visibly overweight or obese.

Meanwhile, it’s getting close to that time of the year when we all have a tendency to eat and drink more than usual.

Attorney Joseph Kowal recalls his late-year holiday binge in 2003, during which he put on 12 pounds and had trouble jogging after that. In a recent e-mail, he wrote: “Dan, I seem to recall a column you wrote about a year ago dealing with weight control that I cut out and lost. I have a number of diet books, but that didn’t stop me from gaining 12 pounds last November and December. Perhaps you could do an update of your article. I realize it’s not about the stock market, but there are things in life more important than the stock market.”

That column you refer to, Joseph, was an interview with nationally known nutrition expert Debi Davis, founder of Fit America MD, a health and weight loss specialist in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Ms. Davis, in a recent chat, noted that “we’re about to enter another major junk food period – between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day – when the average American will add 8.4 pounds because of increased eating, drinking, and partying during the holidays.” It’s also a risk period for the bingers, she adds, because a heavier frame heightens the chance of diabetes, heart attack or a stroke, and exposes you to higher medical costs in your senior years.

In the case of New Yorkers, the weight gain, some health authorities say, could run a bit more, say about 9-10 pounds, because of a more flamboyant Big Apple lifestyle when it comes to eating and drinking habits.

Ms. Davis, a slim, attractive blonde who shed 85 pounds in 1991, has come up with a checklist of 10 ways to fight holiday weight gains so you don’t wind up the year looking like Santa without the suit. Here’s the list:

* Drink at least 64 ounces (or eight glasses) of water a day. This will help flush out the additional fats you may be consuming and keep your body hydrated during a period when we tend to drink more alcohol.

* Fill up on protein-rich foods (such as chicken, turkey, and lean meats). Also, eat fruits and vegetables whenever possible and try to avoid salads heavy with mayonnaise.

* Sample desserts. If you like sweets, nibble on a variety rather than eating an entire serving of one.

* Never attend a party hungry. Eat a substantial lunch or protein-rich snack before party time so you are not so hungry that you binge on high-calorie chips, dips, and hors d’oeuvres.

* Limit your alcohol consumption. Wine is a better choice than mixed drinks because the alcohol and sugar/calorie content is lower. It is also much better than beer because beer is full of extra carbohydrates.

* Exercise. Walk instead of driving. Park far away from stores while doing your holiday shopping.

* Don’t keep snack treats at home. Eat treats only when you go out.

* Eat regular meals. Schedules are always crazy during the holidays and eating tends to be irregular. Try and keep meals as lean and as well-balanced as possible.

* Take your vitamins! Nutritional support is important when you have more obligations than usual and are overstressed. Take them twice a day so give your body around-the-clock protection.

* Anytime you are full and not hungry, don’t eat.

Ms. Davis’s bottom line: Holiday risks abound when it comes to your waistline. Controlling your eating and guzzling over the rest of the month could make 2005 a happier new year medically and financially; it might also help save your life.