Yes, there is a Santa Claus.....but he is obese and he smokes.....

SAVE SANTA CLAUS!!

We all heard the story. In fact, we know the words by heart. But, have you ever thought about the following verses that appear about 3/4 of the way through the poem......????

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf.........

No wonder Santa has an image problem and is loosing believers. An overweight man who smokes is not exactly an endearing visual. This year, I encourage everyone who reads my blog to send a letter to Santa imploring him to consider revamping his lifestyle. First of all, he needs to stop his legendary all night smoking and cookie binges. His health is at stake here. Diabetes. High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Cancer. To name a few!!! He is hardly a role model for today's youth. Maybe it's just a matter of replacing the cookies with higher protein, leaner snacks. We can definitely help with that by not making it available---stop the cookies and milk routine!!!! But, perhaps it's more than that. He may be like the millions of people.....just like myself.....who are obese and who could be helped by weight loss surgery. He needs to talk to his doctor to find out what is best for him.

Trust me, there's no better way to tell someone you love them and want them to be around for a very long time than to help them become a healthier, happier person. Obesity is a hard and difficult illness. And, it is only getting worse. Statistics are scarey---childhood obesity is on the rise. People are dying needlessly everyday from the effects of obesity. Today, a dear friend shared a story with me about how her sister died from breast cancer because she was so obese that her doctor would not treat her. My own beautiful, beloved mother, a woman who fought obesity all of her life, died at a young age, from trying to win to the battle. It's an epidemic. There are many more stories out there about people who could have benefited from stopping the wicked cycle of obesity but never had the power or the motivation to do it. We see it every day. There are even reality shows based on it. Being obese is not only unhealthy---it's no fun at all. The medical community is working hard to help those of us who suffer from it. But, we can't do it alone. It has to start with awareness. We don't need ridicule or further punishment. We need support and help and encouragement. So, let's start with Santa Claus. It might be the first step to waking up the world to the life altering and life threatening dangers of obesity. Let's face it---no one wants to loose Santa Claus! Who will give us gifts? Let's make every morning as happy as Christmas morning. ...for everyone we love. Send your Santa letters today!!!!

We love you Santa Claus!