Each spring my local newspaper runs an article on the upcoming “100 deadliest driving days” of the year, referring to the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
During this period as the weather improves, vehicle crash fatalities spike significantly due to increased distractions, speeding, impaired driving, and increased overall traffic. Statistics support this claim.
However, leading up to the holiday season which ended this month, wouldn’t it behoove health authorities to warn the public each October about the dangers of overeating during what are certainly the “100 deadliest diet days”?
After all, studies consistently show that cardiac deaths peak around the winter holidays, with Christmas Day often being the deadliest day, followed by December 26th and New Year’s Day.
Increased stress over the holidays undoubtedly contributes to this depressing statistic. What with the pressure to find the perfect gift and to squeeze in numerous social gatherings, one’s blood pressure is sure to rise.
But the drastic change in one’s eating and drinking habits over this period certainly plays a key role in holiday health risks. And, historically, that’s always been the case.
For example, Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer, reportedly died in 1601 after a holiday banquet where he refused to leave the table to urinate, leading to a bladder rupture.
Thomas Lockey, an Anglican priest, and Catherine Douglas, Duchess of Queensberry, both are acknowledged as having died from eating “an excess of cherries” over the holidays.
Then there is the classic case of holiday overeating when King Adolf Frederick of Sweden ate lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers, champagne, and 14 servings of cream buns in milk. He died the same day from severe digestive problems.
To avoid such a dastardly fate in the future, one should consider these New Year’s Resolutions:
1. You will not buy Halloween candy to hand out to kids, then turn off all lights in the house so they’ll stay away, leaving the candy for you to consume.
2. Come next Thanksgiving, stuffing the turkey is fine. You, on the other hand, will show some restraint at the dinner table by eating only 13 cream buns in milk.
3.Finally, next Christmas when you go wassailing, vow more singing of carols—but less consumption of wassail.
