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How Does Santa Stay Healthy?

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Let’s face facts. Santa is obese, elderly and has some decidedly serious occupational hazards (such as climbing down chimneys in the winter, lifting heavy bags of toys and flying across the sky in a sleigh). On Christmas Eve he eats thousands of cookies left for him by children from all over the globe and he washes them down with several thousand glasses of milk. And when does the man sleep? Despite it all, he appears to be in remarkably good health.

Most of us, however, are not like Santa. He does, after all, have some Christmas spirit and magic working to his advantage. For most of us mere mortals, obesity, getting older, sleep deprivation and risky hobbies can pose significant health risks. Obesity, in particular, has reached dangerous epidemic proportions in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 58 million people in this country are overweight, 40 million are obese and three million are “morbidly obese.” The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has risen dramatically in the past two decades. Although 25 to 30 percent of children are overweight, the condition is under diagnosed and under treated.

Because obese children may suffer life-long physical and emotional consequences, it is essential that parents, teachers and physicians take steps to help children overcome this problem. Plans should include reasonable weight loss goals, more physical activity, behavior modification and family involvement. Get your children involved by letting them help you plan and prepare healthy meals.

Here are some traps to avoid during the holidays and throughout the year:

• Don’t reward your child for good behavior by giving him sweets or try to stop bad behavior by withholding treats. Find ways to modify your child’s behavior that do not involve food “treats.”
• Don’t make your child clean his plate. If kids are satisfied, don’t force them to continue eating. Reinforce the idea that they should only eat when they are hungry.
• Don’t talk about “bad foods” or completely eliminate all sweets and favorite snacks from overweight children’s diets. Children may rebel and overeat these forbidden foods outside the home or sneak them in on their own.
• Cut down on TV, computer and video game time and don’t allow children to eat while watching television.
• Encourage your children to be physically active every day. Make sure your child’s holiday gifts include jump ropes, balls and other sports equipment. Spend time being active with your child. Go on family walks and play active outdoors games together.

Make sure you help your child get through the holidays without weight gain by offering low-calorie holiday treats and fruit at parties. Fill their stockings with coloring books, puzzles and small games instead of sweet treats. Volunteer to help with your child’s school Christmas party so you will have some input as to what treats are served. With a little planning and imagination you and your child can have a healthy, happy, low-calorie holiday and still make magical Christmas memories that will last a lifetime.