STUDY FINDS
A bunch of researchers are headed straight to the naughty list after judging Santa Claus to be “morbidly obese.”
The grinches explain that depictions of Santa in popular media often paint Jolly Old St. Nick as having an average Body Mass Index (BMI) significantly over the healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9. The most extreme case was found in “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” where Santa’s BMI was calculated at an alarming 49.9.
The research, conducted by ZAVA, analyzed Santa’s portrayal in 10 well-known festive films, TV shows, and advertisements. The study reveals that in many instances, Santa’s BMI is over 40, classifying him as morbidly obese. In “The Snowman” and “Elf,” his BMI was projected to be 45.5 and 44.7, respectively. However, the slimmest portrayal of Santawas by Richard Attenborough in “Miracle on 34th Street,” with a BMI of 28.4, which does not classify him as obese.
This analysis involved examining factors such as the height and weight of the actor portraying Santa and comparing these figures with known body shapes and weights to calculate BMI. ZAVA’s research also includes a survey of 2,000 British adults, which found that one in four believe these portrayals of an unhealthy Santa encourage overeating during the holiday season.
“Over the years there have been many beloved depictions of Santa. But across all these variations, one thing has stood the test of time – and that’s him being on the larger side. In fact, his weight in most of these festive favorites is actually considered dangerous, and he would urgently need to change his lifestyle – otherwise, he could encounter a raft of weight-related problems, including diabetes and heart problems,” says spokesperson Dr. Babak Ashrafi, clinical lead for service development at ZAVA, in a statement. “As we are more conscious than ever when it comes to unhealthy portrayals having a knock-on impact on our own health, it would seem many believe Father Christmas could make a few healthier choices to continue spreading festive cheer for many years to come…
