Revealed, the fattest famous Santa – and neither Mr Claus in The Snowman or Elf ranks number one

Santa may have indulged in a few too many mince pies.

This is evident from an analysis of ten popular Christmas films, TV programs and advertisements, which showed that 90 percent of Sinterklaas renditions are dangerously overweight.

Researchers discovered that Santa Claus… The nightmare Before Christmas is the largest.

Tim Burton's festive scare sees Santa standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 136kg (300 pounds), meaning his body mass index (BMI) is a whopping 49.9.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, while those who reach the threshold of 25 to 29.9 are overweight, 30 to 39.9 are obese, and 40 or higher are severely obese.

If you're too big, you risk a host of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Santa Claus in the 1994 film isn't the only one to pile on the pounds at Christmas.

Nine out of ten famous Santa Clauses analyzed are obese or seriously obese, according to the analysis by online doctor ZAVA, which estimated Santa's height and weight.

Santa Claus inside The snowmanthe 1982 animated Christmas film, and Eleven (2003), starring Will Ferrell and often considered one of the best party films, have a BMI of 45.5 and 44.7 respectively.

Fred Claus (2007), with actor Paul Giamatti in Santa, was also among the largest, with a BMI of 44.2.

In the famous annual Coca-Cola Christmas commercial, Santa Claus is 178 cm tall and weighs 136 kg, giving him a BMI of 43.

The thinnest Santa, however, was played by Richard Attenborough Miracle on 34th Street.

At 167 cm tall and weighing 79 kg, his BMI is 28.4, which means he is the only Santa Claus who is not considered obese. However, he is still overweight.

ZAVA also commissioned a survey of 2,000 adults, which found that one in four think these unhealthy Santas actually encourage overeating over the Christmas period.

Dr. Babak Ashrafi, clinical lead for service development at ZAVA, said: 'Over the years there have been many much-loved images of Santa Claus.

'But despite all these variations, one thing has stood the test of time – and that is that it is on the larger side.

'In fact, in most of these festive favorites his weight is actually considered dangerous and he would urgently need to change his lifestyle – otherwise he could face a range of weight-related problems, including diabetes and heart problems.

'As we are more aware than ever of unhealthy portraits having a knock-on effect on our own health, it seems many believe Santa could make a few healthier choices to continue spreading festive cheer for many years to come.'

Obesity can cause a range of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, fatty liver disease and kidney problems.

BMI is the most commonly used indicator to determine whether someone falls into this category. It is calculated by dividing a weight in kilograms by the squared height in meters.

ZAVA's research also showed that more than half of British people have difficulty staying free of unhealthy and tasty food in December.

Around 55 per cent of those polled admitted that their healthy eating and drinking habits will 'go out the window' this Christmas.

Meanwhile, 31 percent said they found it difficult to say no to tasty food and drinks when they're in the festive mood.

But 80 percent believe that the Christmas season in general encourages an overconsumption of decadent foods.

However, 32 percent will try to keep an eye on their calorie intake over the festive period – with 19 percent always trying to be healthy, this won't change at this time of year.

While 14 percent of them want to avoid arriving during the festive festivities, according to the poll, conducted via OnePoll.