A recent article from Jillian Michaels pointed out that when we have a very stressful situation we go into "Fight or flight" and the hormones released stop us from feeling hungry (which makes sense) but the problem is this happens even when we are not being chased by a bear. According to her article, "The trouble is, it occurs in response to all stressors, including the deadlines pummeling you at work and the traffic that drives you crazy. When stress is always present, your body can't get rid of the excess cortisol built up in the blood. That cortisol just hangs around, causing lots of trouble: It turns young fat cells into mature fat cells that stick with you forever, and increases your cravings for high-fat, high-carb foods."
So the stress of the holidays compounded by mountains of cookies is not a good thing. 
We have to learn to deal with stress. Not only during the holidays but every day.