A sports scientist and personal trainer is urging everyone to count the memories, not the calories this Christmas in an effort to stop people missing out on occasions because they don't want to put on weight.
Oisin Mulligan is also calling for a compensation to reduce the cost of healthy foods which, he believes, can cost more than ultra processed goods.
The 26 year old who has 1.5 million followers across social media platforms says mental health can be hugely affected if people start feeling guilty about eating food,
"A lot of people struggle enough at Christmas without having to stress on the scales over the stones and pounds," he said.
"No food is bad for you and at this time of year, there is going to be more food, more chocolate, more sweets and guess what, Christmas isn't going anywhere soon.
"People forget that health is not just about your weight, it's also about your mental and social health."
Oisín says he gets a lot of queries from people about what to eat over Christmas and he tells them to eat the chocolate but balance it with a walk or a glass of water.
"You can always go back and lost a stone or a kilo but you can never go back an gain a memory that you have lost by not going to a social event.
"A client once told me that her family were having pizza for her birthday and she stayed in her room because she was on a diet. It was her last birthday that she would've spent with her dad who passed after that.
"Eventually your life is going to pass away while you are worrying about stones and kilos. Health is about balance. If you have a life that is all gym and exercise, you are going to end up with a negative mindset and the same if you go to the other end of the scale."
Oisín from Athlone, Co. Westmeath started studying sports science and nutrition seven years ago after he lost six and a half stone through his own research into food and he has managed to keep the weight off for almost a decade.
As part of trying to show people that no food is bad, he ate a McDonalds every day for two weeks and still lost six pounds and he ate spoonfuls of sugar in another experiment and lost five pounds.
"On an average Christmas Day, most people will have a fry-up, loads of chocolate, mince pies, a big dinner and a dessert. It works out at about 8000 calories, which is about a pound in weight but if I account for thermogenesis which is when your body burns more calories when you eat more calories, it will be less
"If the scales are up the next day, it's probably to do with all the food still in your stomach or water retention from all the extra carbohydrates, none of which contribute to fat gain.
"Enjoy Christmas and have those chocolates and wine and mince pies. If you are overweight at Christmas, chances are it's not Christmas, it is the other eleven months of the year that is the problem. "
He also feels strongly about the cost of fruit and other healthy foods which he says the Government should subsidise to make them more affordable for people.
"Instead of a sugar tax, we should have some compensation for foods that are higher on the nutritional scale because it is an absolute disgrace that you can pick up ultra processed foods for much less than fresh and healthy goods."
