(Before and After Images: Dr. Nathan Grills)
Before
After
The present Santa Claus turns out to be a medical nightmare. Consider the following:
Santa is overweight.
He's hardly ever seen walking. It takes a team of reindeer to haul him.
He's often pictured smoking a pipe.
(Image: Library of Congress)
Earlier traditions in Europe held that brandy should be left out for Santa the night before Christmas, so he's potentially a drunk driver too, especially if the billion houses he visits are factored into the equation.
Grills argues that "Santa only needs to affect health by 0.1% to damage millions of lives" and that it would be better if his popularity was used to promote healthy living.
"Santa sells, and sometimes he sells harmful products" and this happens on a global scale, Grills says. "Like Coca-Cola, Santa has become a major export item to the developing world."
Solution? Santa should share Rudolph's snack of carrots and celery sticks, according to Grills, who would also prefer a more slimmed down Santa who regularly exercises, such as by using a treadmill.
A recent poll determined that Santa was the number one recognized fictional character among American school children. Here's number two:
(Image: click)
Tags: Folklore and Superstition, Health, Healthy Foods, Holidays, Myths and Legends
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