Like Charles Barkley, he didn't ask to be a role model.WITH his portly belly and a fondness for a brandy-fuelled spin on the sleigh, Santa Claus is hardly the picture of health or safety.
Now his wild ways are catching up with him, with calls for a radical overhaul of his bad boy image. A study by Monash University public health expert Dr Nathan Grills found Santa could be promoting obesity, speeding and drink-driving, and damaging millions of lives.
The childhood legend should be used to promote a healthy lifestyle, the study, published in the British Medical Journal, found.
It suggested Santa slim down by ditching the cookies, mince pies and milk, and instead snacking on his reindeers' carrots and celery sticks. Santa also should trade in the sleigh for a bike or throw his sack over his shoulder and hit the global road on foot.
It could also put Santa at risk of drink-driving, given that he visits billions of houses and takes a tipple at each.
His reckless behaviour could also encourage extreme sports such as roof surfing and chimney jumping - not to mention speeding.
At the very least he should buckle up or don a helmet, the study says.
Santa also has the potential to spread infectious diseases, the review warns. If he sneezes or coughs around 10 times a day, all the children who sit on his lap may end up with swine flu.
Dr Grills denied he was a "public health scrooge".
"I wouldn't go as far as saying that Santa causes obesity - it's more about raising wider issues around advertising and public health," he said.
"Christmas is about a loving and giving. I would like to see us reclaim that part of Santa, not seeing him used as a pawn in a marketing campaign."
Food & Nutrition Australia dietitian Sharon Natoli agreed that pictures of Santa drinking and smoking were inappropriate. But she added: "I think it's going a bit far to suggest Santa slim down as he is an international icon rather than a role model."
She said a healthy lifestyle was more important in terms of longevity than simply being slim.
Dr Grills wants a public debate on whether Santa's image should be used to sell products such as alcohol and unhealthy foods.
A study of American school kids shows Santa Claus is the only fictional character more highly recognised than Ronald McDonald.
Given Santa's popularity Dr Grills argues that "Santa only needs to affect health by 0.1 per cent to damage millions of lives".
Nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullin said Santa Claus should be a protected brand not used to promote unhealthy food and alcohol.
But she warned against becoming the fun police and picking on every person who didn't fit a certain image.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/santa-a-health-hazard/story-e6frfhk6-1225811511670?from=public_rss
A Slice of Us for the Rest of Us
Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
