Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas – May your every New Year dream come true 

Ever wondered why Santa Claus is portrayed as round and podgy? It was Coca-Cola in the 1930s which changed the image of Santa from a thin-austere figure – based on the historical Saint Nicholas to a more jolly and a chubby Santa in their marketing campaign – only to associate their product with perceived happiness and festivity. 

It’s beyond doubt that fat people are seen as healthy, prosperous, and important – and often friendly as well. 

Modern medical education is telling us to debunk the basic precept that health problems are a result of taking in too many calories and being overweight. Because one can be obese and still have a healthy heart – or you could look thin and fit and still have a worrisome lab profile. 

Infact, if you are overweight (but with a good lipid profile), it’s telling you that your lipids are delivering the energy where they belong, that is in the subcutaneous fat where they are essentially inert, where as, when lipids cover your viscera (visceral fat) and make your liver fat (fatty liver), it tells you that there is excess sugar in your diet and that can happen whether you are obese or thin. The problem is not with the fat you can see but the fat you can’t see. And those vldls (bad cholesterol) that your liver makes from sugar are responsible for the plaques and blockages too. 

That said, forget the worrisome rest and go ahead and enjoy spending time with your loved ones, enjoy traditional desserts, Christmas treats and mulled wine. 

Zareer Patell