AgentAxeman 199 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 is nothing sacred! Overweight Santa 'needs a makeover' Santa is a public health hazard - promoting obesity and drink-driving, experts have claimed. Santa is a public health hazard - promoting obesity and drink-driving, experts have claimed. Images of a fat, jolly and somewhat tipsy Father Christmas send out the wrong message and could damage millions of lives, they said. Instead of sitting back in his sleigh and breaking the speed limit, Santa should get off and walk or jog. Obese Santa also needs to swap the brandy and mince pies left out by hopeful children for carrots and celery sticks stolen from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Dr Nathan Grills and illustrator Brendan Halyday, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said the current image of Santa promotes obesity, drink-driving, speeding and a general unhealthy lifestyle. Santa's universal fame means he is used by companies around the globe to sell all kinds of products, including unhealthy foods, they went on. For example, there is very high awareness of Santa among young children - higher than the McDonald's fictional character, Ronald McDonald. Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the authors said Santa used to also sell cigarettes but that has now been banned. They went on to provide a full list of Santa's unhealthy behaviours, including encouraging fathers to step in and eat leftover mince pies, thereby expanding their own waistlines. With billions of homes to visit, Santa is also soon over the drink-driving limit due to too many brandies and sherries. The authors conclude there is a need for Santa to undergo an image overhaul - one that promotes healthy living. "We need to be aware that Santa has an ability to influence people, and especially children, towards unhealthy behaviour," they said. "Given Santa's universal appeal, and reasoning from a population health perspective, Santa needs to affect health by only 0.1% to damage millions of lives. We propose a new image for Santa to ensure that his influence on public health is a positive one." source : http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/articles.aspx?cp...entid=151404685 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Please tell me that's a wind-up. Santa wept tbh. In any case, surely the responsibility for healthy eating of kids young enough to believe in Santa - i.e. about 5 and under - surely lies with the parents (crazy notion, I know). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 11080 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thought this was going to be the email that does the rounds this time of year. The on which calculates the size, speed and weight of the sleigh. The calories Santa consumes and the number of reindeers he would need. Tbh I'm a little disappointed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyluke 2 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thought this was going to be the email that does the rounds this time of year. The on which calculates the size, speed and weight of the sleigh. The calories Santa consumes and the number of reindeers he would need. Tbh I'm a little disappointed Why don't you do it? Or you a lazy, obese alcoholic bum thanks to the influence of Santa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 11080 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I guess I'm just not that cynical... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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