Christmas revellers who over indulge in festive fare can take heart from academics who are staging an unusual forum on obesity early in the new year.
The academics will gather at the University of Limerick to challenge many of the traditional myths and preconceptions surrounding the so called global war on obesity.
They claim fat people who are physically active are more likely to live longer, healthier, lives than thin people who are not active.
The one-day forum will hear arguments from experts in weight-related issues to contradict conventional views that being overweight or obese can lead to illness or early death.
One of the areas that will be tackled in the forum on obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI), a system often used to calculate obesity based on an individual's height and weight. Irish people can take heart as this method of calculation defines Hollywood star Brad Pitt as overweight and George Clooney as obese, according to forum organisers.
Senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Limerick, Dr Lee Monaghan, said the flawed definition of obesity is just one of many issues the forum will address.
"Irish people are routinely and authoritatively told that fatness equals ill-health and poor life quality.
"However, some scientific studies have shown that if you're fat and physically active you're more likely to live longer and be healthier than somebody who is lean and sedentary," he said.
Dr Monaghan who is currently writing a book, Masculinities and the Obesity Debate, said medical and scientific literature will be presented at the forum to challenge the view that obesity is as problematic as often claimed.
"The science legitimating the war on fat is often uncertain and open to serious questioning. Medical and popular solutions to excess weight are often ineffective and, ironically, the current panic around body fat may contribute towards eating disorders and other health problems," he said. The one-day forum at the university on January 9th will hear experts deliver papers on weight-related issues. Admission is free.