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Show ftlflf HlBl'JS Ijjj) For many Americans, the most precarious place to be during the holiday season is behind a place setting at the dinner table. Heavy food, drinks, and rich desserts! It might not be so bad if just to Grandmother's Grand-mother's house we'd go. But we don't stop there. We have to make the rounds . . . and put on the pounds. And that's where the trouble begins. From a period that starts with Thanksgiving and goes through New Year's, everywhere every-where we go, we're tempted with cakes, pies, cookies, ; candy, and hors d'oeuvres. i . : And third and fourth helpings help-ings of the turkey and dressing dress-ing aren't uncommon . . . they're expected. Oh, well. So what? It's only once a year and besides, be-sides, it's the season to be jolly. And we all know that the jolliest people of all are fat people. Right? Wrong. If a fat person happens to be jolly, it isn't because he's fat. ..it's in spite of it. How can anyone be jolly with a condition that makes a person per-son so uncomfortable, so unattractive, and so unlikely to live a long and satisfying life? Years ago, being fat was a sign of power and prosperity. prosper-ity. If you were fat, that meant you ate well, which meant you had plenty of food, which meant you had plenty of money. The kings throughout history are always al-ways portrayed with 50-inch 50-inch waistlines and drumsticks drum-sticks in their hands. Even our friend with the red suit and the familiar "ho ho ho" is overweight. And that's too bad. Think what a better example Santa would be for kids and adults if he weren't fat. Now, it would be almost sacrilegious to recommend that we break tradition and portray Santa Claus as a jolly slender slen-der person, who eats sanely and is in excellent physical condition. And we are not recommending that for it would be shattering to the world to imagine St. Nick as anything else but what he is. Besides, what would we do with all the fat men who don the red suit as their occupation. What we do recommend is that the image of Santa not be taken literally. That he stop trying to eat every "goodie" that's left under the tree. That he keep his hands out of the candy dish and cookie jar. That he lay off the soda pops and fancy liqueurs. That he pass up some of the liquid celebration. celebra-tion. He might hurt a few feelings, but he'd sure feel a lot better. And there's no question about the fact that he'd have a lot easier time getting down those chimneys. The point is simply this. This time of year we're so busy thinking of others... and eating with others, that we tend to neglect our health. For the sake of your own well being, try to remember re-member that the stockings you stuff this season aren't supposed to be the ones you're wearing. Remember, that in spite of most people's pledge to "take it off after the New Year," in most cases the weight put on during the holidays stays |
