The Elf Story
would eat two lunches at the elf cafeteria. He tried to be just too perfect in toy making and never thought they were good enough for the children. The dolls’ eyes never sparkled enough, thought Frez, and the wagons were not as shinny as last year. Nothing seemed to be going right and the time for delivery of the presents was getting closer. It was beyond anybody’s understanding why Frez was getting so particular and asking for an elf suit larger than his size. Then, one day Santa found out what the problem was and decided to solve it. It seemed that Frez was not a young elf, but elves never looked their age by the virtue of being ever cheerful and happy. Frez needed to feel he was special, so Santa assigned him his own project called “special toys.”
These were the toys that were broken and needed to be repaired with love. Frez was so glad to be in charge of such a project that he had only one lunch that day because he had to hurry back to his tasks.
There is a lesson to be learnt from what Santa did for the elf. Sometimes we have off days when we just don’t feel positive. Someone’s smile or invitation to join some friends can make our whole day worthwhile. Frez is now content with assembling the broken toys and transform them into something new, and he has stopped being a voracious eater that he once used to be because he is happy. He even wears his old suit now, and his new suit is taken in for his smaller waist."
Good nutrition, coupled with an active lifestyle, plays a crucial role in the prevention of chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. The most fundamental challenge for nutritionists is how to convert complex scientific knowledge into easily understood and simple messages about healthy eating and communicate these to a given population. Teenagers have high nutrient needs during puberty and these accounts for the high food costs. During times of economic recession, many people experience financial difficulties that impact directly on their ability to afford healthy food. However, it is crucial for population health that healthy eating is affordable by everyone.
