Santa Claus Weight: A Bad Body Role Model?
Trust the Australians to spoil Christmas with talk of how bad a role model Santa Claus is. Just because he’s portly, drinks a lot of eggnog and then sleds around the world doesn’t mean every kid who believes in him will follow his example!
Australian researchers from Monash University have published a study in the British Medical Journal that says Santa may influence children towards unhealthy behavior, and that countries whose kids are encouraged to believe in him are also the countries with the highest rates of obesity. Personally I think that’s a bit of a stretch, but hey, they did the research.
In their study, Nathan and Brendan says Santa not only promotes over eating and drinking and driving, he also spreads swine flu, speeds (to deliver all the presents in time), and supports a sedentary lifestyle. The team of researchers says Santa could become a healthier role model if he were to choose to ride a bicycle instead of his sleigh, or even jog to deliver the gifts. (Huh?!)
The Australians have even gone so far as to compare Santa to Ronald McDonald as both extremely recognizable characters in society who are marketed to kids and promote unhealthy lifestyles.
Celeb Diet Doc…
Leave Santa alone…
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