Comments on: Santa Claus is Clinically Depressed

By: sloane

sloane — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:05:32 +0000

Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') has a marketing and branding blog and did a recent post on Santa's need for what he refers to as a 'brandover': "Santa can be plump and huggable, but he shouldn’t be a walking heart attack. And besides, being fat isn’t a Santa brand essential. Being caring and generous are essentials. But what’s caring or generous about leading kids down the fast track to diabetes? No thanks, Santa." Full post:

By: asithi

asithi — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:09:01 +0000

I wonder if whoever invented the story of Santa really made him to be obese? After each telling, he just got fatter and fatter.

I see why Santa is stressed. It’s cold in the North Pole with little daylight hence possibility of SAD (except that it is daily instead of seasonal). You only have Mrs. Claus and the elves for company. No exercise, hearty winter meals, and definitely drinking problem with that red nose and cheeks…..

By: James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H. — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:02:30 +0000

Perhaps you are correct (either way). Perhaps lack of exercise aggrevates both, or vice versa.

By: McBloggenstein

McBloggenstein — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:07:46 +0000

Hmm.. the chicken or the egg?

I could imagine that people being dissatisfied with their stressful lifestyle and the fact that they make poor lifestyle choices (but don’t know why or what to do about it) causing mild depression, which could then lead to a whole list of other outcomes:

Poor self-image, boredom, being sedentary, emotional eating, addiction…

Poor Santa.

By: Super-Trainer

Super-Trainer — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:37:36 +0000

You’re cracking me up with this! Awesome use of research here – lol -