Days before Christmas, an Australian health and wellness expert has called for ''fat Santas'' to be ditched from shopping centres. According to a LadBible report, Australian health researcher Dr Vincent Candrawinata has sparked public fury as he called for ''all fat Santa Claus'' to be banned as overweight Father Christmases set a bad example and promotes binge eating.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Dr. Candrawinata said: “We shouldn't expect Santa to be fat because that sends the wrong message. I want to fight the stigma that you need to eat a lot and overindulge to celebrate festivities and be joyful. Being overweight should not be associated with happiness.” He added that he wants a fit Santa to become the new norm.
He also demanded that the practice of sticking pillows or other stuffing down the front of the famous red suit should come to an end. "Shopping centres should not go above and beyond and make a concerted effort to make Santa look fat," he told news.com.au.
To stress his point further, he told LadBible, ''For a lot for us, myself included, it's one of our earliest, joyful childhood memories and I think that it can have a profound positive impact on children when they don't see the association with a joyful holiday and the urge to gorge and overindulge in terms of food and beverages. Kids absorb a lot much more than we think they do.".
However, his statement has faced backlash from several corners. Peter Hogg, a Santa entertainer who had dressed up as the festive icon for more than a decade suggested the idea of a “skinny Santa” was ridiculous. He told Indy100, ''A skinny Santa takes away from the mystery and mystique of Santa Claus throughout the ages.”
Mr. Hogg also argued that Santas have to be strong to hold lots of children all day and claimed he's never heard of any of his colleagues becoming ill or having health issues because of their weight.
