Super Bowl Sunday is one of the great American traditions. It's the annual championship of the NFL; a stage for a highly-anticipated superstar halftime show and binge fest of high-calorie food.

Bags full of hot wings, chips, dips, soda and beer add up to more than 6,000 calories per person, said a new study.

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The study suggests it's the largest number of calories consumed in any week through the year  by Americans. Super Bowl is the most calorie intensive day for Americans.

Researchers from Cornell University tracked grocery purchases and looked at spending habits for 200 households in New York for a seven-month period. They added up each serving size and the calories for each person.

They wanted to know when people start giving-up on their New Year's Resolutions to stay lean and came across the fact Americans consume a  hugely unhealthy amount of food during the Super Bowl.

Another question raised by the researchers is why people overeat on Super Bowl Sunday.

"Some people are so glued to the TV in anticipation, so eager, that it causes them to nibble on whatever's there," said Dr. Sharad Wagle, chief of psychiatry at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck.

Dr. Wagle added that anxiety, elation and boredom contribute to overeating.

Herd mentality may also another culprit. Seeing people around you eating may set off a tribal response of sorts, making everyone want to join in.

Melissa Buczek Kelly, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, said that what happens during Super Bowl is a lot of mindless eating.

Tagssuper bowl, binge eating, calories, unhealthy food, Football, Thanksgiving