Though he has a few billion houses to visit, Santa Claus should get off his sleigh and walk, run or bike, according to a cheeky public health doctor, who says Santa’s commercial image promotes obesity, reckless air travel and a general unhealthy lifestyle.
“His popularity should be used to promote healthy living,” Dr. Nathan Grills from Monash University in Australia argued in a light-hearted “analysis” in the Christmas issue of bmj.com.
Santa’s rotund image, popularized by 1930s ads for Coca-Cola, is a far cry from the original St. Nick who was quite trim. And though his quivering belly has been associated with joviality, it’s a mistake to equate obesity with cheerfulness, according to Canadian researchers who found that “remaining sedentary was generally associated with a low jolly quotient.”
But even if Santa lost weight, there’s another health concern: Santa is sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times a day while taking gift requests, according to surveys.
“Unsuspecting little Johnny gets to sit on Santa’s lap, but as well as his present he gets H1N1 influenza,” Grills wrote. “Santa continues on his merry way and gives the ‘present’ to a few more 100 kids before coming down with influenza himself.”
Daily Venus Diva -- Daily Venus Diva.
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