Santa Not the Best Role Model for Kids' Health (Rethinking Santa)

Originally posted by RuneSpider
reply to post by In nothing we trust

 

Santa Claus appears to have evolved over time. Santas that came before "Big Coke Santa" were depicted as healthier and skinnier as well as fat. So it appears that "Big Coke Santa" has united the myth into a fat unhealthy Santa. Now we all think it's ok to be fat.

It may be that er... "Big Coke" has standardized the Santa Claus image, but I seriously doubt anyone thinks it's ok to be fat because of Santa Claus.

What activity besides rampant consumerism is Christmas known for?

Obesity and over-eating of course. Otherwise known as feasting.

Over indulgence and material gratification are the messages that society accepts as the social norm at christmas.

Obesity warning as children eat up to 6,000 calories on Christmas Day

Young children can take in nearly four times their daily recommended intake of calories on Christmas Day, research reveals.

A dinner with all the trimmings, plus treats and other meals can add up to 6,000 calories.

This is three times the limit recommended for an adult woman - and a shocking four times the 1,550 calories advised for a five-year-old girl.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

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[edit on 20-12-2009 by In nothing we trust]

reply to post by In nothing we trust


mmmm that dinner looks unreal!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring on Christmas! no food till then so I can gorge and lay on my back like a star fish on the floor moaning for 2 hours.

Originally posted by Walkswithfish



I'm sure this particular kid was heartbroken to find a thin Santa.

LMAO....Thurman Merman

I know what I'm watching tonight

if you lived in the North Pole then being fat would be a bloody sensible lifestyle choice!

reply to post by In nothing we trust


This is the funniest thing I have heard today. Thanks for the laugh...and I think you might be onto something. Santa needs Jenny Craig!

reply to post by blueorder


That's actually true.

Rethinking Santa? Phooey.

He's a right jolly old elf, and should stay that way...

So THAT'S where I got the urge as a child to break into people's houses one night a year, steal their milk, cookies, and booze, "fly" my "sleigh" with "magical reindeer", and retreat to an isolated hideout in a very cold environment....

come on...if this was honestly meant tongue in cheek, it would never have been published. he was looking for attention and got it.

lets not take away from christmas.

yes, it promotes absurd amounts of consumerism.

yes, it promotes (barley) over eating...but only for one day a year.

yes, santa was changed by "big bad coke" (oooooooo...BOO)

but come on...I was just feeling the magic of christmas this year and..POP...their goes my bubble....

I'm keeping my santa fat and drunk and as well as my christmas!

Originally posted by RuneSpider


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/54369ecf1e4c.png[/atsimg]

In the interests of the article, here is rough draft of a redesign for Santa as a kick but action hero.

There is no chin under Santa's beard... only another fist!

Yet another vilification of a childhood icon pushed onto us because there are those behind the scenes who believe all of mankind should live their entire life in perpetual fear of something. The goal here is to make people look at Santa, a cheerfull, happy image, and worry "Oh no, he's sinister. My kids will be fat asses."

I'm gonna start a new trend. Santa Claus is the gold standard of environmental responsibillity and should be uplifted above all other in this era of green living. He doesn't use fossil fuels to circumnavigate the globe, instead using the fully renewable resource of eight tiny reindeer(take that Al Gore Gang and your fancy jet plane gas guzzlers!), he clearly lets people know that the burning of coal is wrong by only giving coal to "bad" boys and girls, and he employs local elves at his shop, ensuring that the little guys do not have to travel far to get to work every day (rumor has it that he even installed a light elf rail system around the North Pole last year, dubbed "Elf Mover" to provide environmentally friendly commuting options to all of his employees. Yes, Santa is a friend of the environment and a friend to us all.

The archetype of Santa Claus closely resembles the big, fat, laughing Buddha.

Do you know why Buddha's image is usually of a fat guy? In the early part of his life he led an extremely frugal, self-denying existence. Much like the self-flaggelators of the middle ages Christianity.

He literally starved himself to the brink of death. Then, in a moment of clarity, he realized how stupid that was. We don't need to deny ourselves and beat ourselves up to be a good person.

He preached "the middle road". One thing this Australian doctor should be mindful of. Everything in moderation....even moderation.

Ho Ho Ho

/and that goes for the self-flaggelating "greenies" and their foolish carbon indulgences and guilt ridden hair shirts

[edit on 21-12-2009 by Gamma MO]

This came up in a conversation with my daughter last night.

My daughter noticed an old Christmas decoration from the 1950s that showed Santa smoking a pipe. My daughter was quite perplexed by this and pointed out what appeared as a non-sequitur to her. I realized that it has been at least two decades since I've seen an image of Santa smoking a pipe, but I could remember such being commonplace in my childhood.

So, the image of Santa does indeed change according to the prevalent social climate of the times.

However, what kid idolizes Santa? Sure, all kids LOVE Santa, but I've never heard of one that looks at Santa as a role-model. Even subconsciously, I don't think his portly physique is doing any kind of psychological damage to children, nor can be the excuse for their own obesity.

Sounds to me like the Fast Food, Candy, Soda and Sugar Industries are all trying to pull a fast one in the form of displacing blame on Santa lest people point the finger at them first.

This is to the OP. First I remember reading in the bible where Jesus turns water into wine. You with me so far?

Anyway, the guests of the party went through all the booze (the alcohol content was not regulated back then so I bet this was some pretty potent stuff. Anyone who has ever made home made wine will agree.) and Jesus, as nice of a guy as he was, decided to transmute some water to provide a few extra kegs to the guests. It says the guests had too much to drink, Jesus was one of the guests. I don't hold anything against him for it, even the son of god can have some fun. Fun does not always = sin.

You're telling me you don't like sitting down to a fantastic turkey dinner with your family? You don't enjoy seeing cousins, aunts, uncles and long lost family friends just one time of year? You don't enjoy your aunt Lucy's potato salad and your grandmas yams?

You don't enjoy slices of fresh Christmas ham right out of the oven or some awesome chocolate chip cookies still warm and soft?

Sad Sad Little man.

What you call gluttony I call the true meaning of the holiday. Sure you get presents and all, but you also get time with family. Just one day a year we all get together, eat well and play card games. At this very moment, the material things of the world are the last thing on my mind. The only thing I can think about right then is how happy I am we could all come together even if it is just once a year.

How dare they consider changing old Saint Nic. I was raised with a fat Santa Clause and I didn't say, 'Hey look Santa is fat, eats lots of cookies, and flies around at break neck speeds with reigndeer in a sley.' I thought nothing like that, I didn't admire his outrageous intake of sugary foods, I just thought he was a nice guy who would bring me preasents if I was good, a reward for good behaviour. This is just what they think kids will interpret Santa as just because they do, these are a bunch of lunatics who are hell bent on changing our entire culture because they don't think it is a good thing for children or maybe since Santa is white it is offensive to blacks, asians, hispanics, and indians. Santa is white, he is fat, and he is a man who loves to speed. That is Santa, so don't change anything about him! Next thing you know they will want us to stop buying Christmas trees because maybe the trees feelings will be hurt by being decorated!

reply to post by In nothing we trust


You have the materialistic side down pat, sure.
That image is missing something, however.
I know for myself, and many people I know that as we get older, Christmas becomes less about the gifts, and more about family.
Think of it this way, if you visit old friends, you usually get invited or treated to lunch or dinner.

Visit your folks after being away for awhile they'll usually ask if you can stay for lunch or dinner.
The mass amount of indulgences is really just the same thing, Christmas is one of the times of year that families tend to get together.

Originally posted by fraterormus

My daughter noticed an old Christmas decoration from the 1950s that showed Santa smoking a pipe. My daughter was quite perplexed by this and pointed out what appeared as a non-sequitur to her. I realized that it has been at least two decades since I've seen an image of Santa smoking a pipe, but I could remember such being commonplace in my childhood.

So, the image of Santa does indeed change according to the prevalent social climate of the times.

Sounds to me like the Fast Food, Candy, Soda and Sugar Industries are all trying to pull a fast one in the form of displacing blame on Santa lest people point the finger at them first.

Isn't it interesting how the mindset of an entire population can be manipulated by a very few people. Pipe smoking santa is replaced with non-smoker Santa and no one even notices. I'm sure "Big tobacco" was unhappy about that change.

One has to wonder how much of a role the sugar industry played in helping portray "Big Coke" Santa as a chubby old guy. Suddenly it's cool to chug excessive amounts of sugery softdrinks, be over weight and be a diabetic. Before you know it "Big Pharma" will be pushing high cholesterol pill popping Santa on us.

Anyone want some high blood pressure medicine in thier stocking this year?

If were gonna have national health care we're gonna have to rethink , not just Santa, but all of our social icons.

i.e. Rethink the easter bunny and candy at easter and halloween.

Maybe we should have some new holidays like 'fiscally responsible day', where responsible budgeting is encouraged and entitlements are discouraged. We could think up a new fictional character to promote this one.

Originally posted by RuneSpider

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/54369ecf1e4c.png[/atsimg]

In the interests of the article, here is rough draft of a redesign for Santa as a kick but action hero.

Abandoning his role as jolly gift giver following the lack of belief now that he has relegated much of his work to parents, Santa has moved to Miami.

He enrolled in karate to loose wight and now teaches self defense to Mall Santas.

Maybe we should leave tofu and bean sprouts for Santa instead of milk, cookies and carrots?

I think we should also depict Santa taking nutrional suppliments and jogging to the mall before work. Make sure he leaves good and early so he can clock in well before his shift begins. Santa should also voluntarily clock out before he goes into overtime.

Just as a side comment. Runespider your karate kicking santa looks alot like Hans Gruber, super bad guy, from die hard.

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[edit on 21-12-2009 by In nothing we trust]

Originally posted by Misoir

Next thing you know they will want us to stop buying Christmas trees ...

You know this is comming ...

Do you know how many carbon emissions are required to get a x-mas tree from point A to your home?

And how much carbon is emitted at disposal?

[edit on 21-12-2009 by In nothing we trust]

This has got to be one of the most ridiculus things that I have ever heard. Santa as a role model

Children do not look up to Santa as a role model, they don't want to be him, he doesn't make them, or anybody else think it's ok to be fat. They only want to catch a glimpse of him, and receive the presents that he brings. Heck they don't even start thinking about him until the Christmas season rolls around.

Who cares if we, or our kids overeat on Christmas, it's one day a year, it's a day of celebration. I think we're entitled to have a couple days out of the year when we can celebrate and eat until we feel like bursting while enjoying the company of friends and family without feeling guilty about over indulging.

As far as Santa being portrayed as fat in ads, there are Christmas cartoons and movies where Santa only fattens up for the holiday. I don't know what they do in other countries, but in America we leave him milk and cookies, not alcohol.

My granddaughter (she's 9) was standing here and saw the Coca Cola ad and asked what they were saying about Santa. I explained what the thread was about and she said " Grammy it's only an ad for soda" that's the soda company that did that not Santa. If only some adults could have the common sense that children have, they are not as gullible as some would have us believe.

Let the children enjoy their childhood and look forward to Santa and his presents, it goes by much too fast, and stop trying to make Santa something that he's not.