SeeCalifornia.com

OCEANSIDE, CALIF. — Pictured is O’Side Turkey Trot 5K/10K held on Thanksgiving Day. It reportedly attracts visitors from 46 States and 460 cities.

Conventional wisdom says that it’s good for your health to get out and run before eating a big Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner. The popularity of Turkey Trot events continues to grow as participants find that registering, paying a fee (which often helps a special cause,) and even donning costumes for prizes, are all motivators to get exercise before scarfing down thousands of calories.

According to best estimates the average American adult consumes between 2,500 and 4,500 calories in a typical Thanksgiving meal with desserts, drinks and all the trimmings.

Unfortunately the average 5K (3.1 miles) Turkey Trot event helps you wear off anywhere from 310 calories to 750 calories. The amount of calories you burn depends on your weight, speed and terrain, among other things. It would be a challenge for most to eat only as many calories as they have burned off running or walking beforehand.

The Turkey Trot is still a good habit as exercise may help curb your appetite. Most research shows that exercise decreases levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and increases levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. But other research suggests that exercise’s apparent hunger-suppressing effect doesn’t apply to obese individuals the same way it does to lean people.

The general consensus among Turkey Trot participants is that the events make them feel good, regardless of calories and hunger.

We keep an annual list of Turkey Trots and Turkey Runs in California numbering 50-60 events we’ve found this year. Among them is a new Rose Bowl 5K Turkey Trot in Pasadena.