According to emergency authorities, more than 1,500 people called the ambulance during the Christmas period in Romania, around 50 of them with severe digestive and cardiac conditions.
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The Christmas celebration and its delicious meals may be over, but its consequences remain for some in Romania, and it is not something delicious or tasty.
According to emergency authorities, more than 1,500 people called the ambulance during the Christmas period in Romania, around 50 of them with serious digestive and cardiac conditions.
According to local officials at the ambulance headquarters in Bucharest, the number of doctors on board ambulances doubled during the holidays in order to provide medical care to those who needed it.
For nutritionist Lygia Alexandrescu, the increase in the number of emergency cases at Christmas is not surprising.
“There is also an economic problem. Traditional foods have become more and more expensive, which means we can’t buy too much of them [donc on finit tout ce qui est sur la table. Mais, également,] we won’t throw away the leftover food, which is a good thing,” says Alexandrescu.
Some Bucharest residents said that although the holidays were an opportunity to have several tasty and traditional meals, they tried to avoid eating heavy foods.
“No, I didn’t, because I’m old enough and we have to eat properly,” a Romanian man told local media. According to another, a little of everything was enough.
“Of course, I tasted a little bit of everything; it was necessary, after the long period of fasting,” said this woman.
The celebration of Christmas in Romania, a predominantly Orthodox Christian country, is one of the most popular holidays, with unique festive traditions. Most people observe fasting, confession and holy communion. The Nativity Fast, lasting 40 days, often begins on November 14 each year.
Nutritionists warn people who tend to overeat to exercise caution due to several health risks.
Despite the joyful mood of the season, the holidays can sometimes trigger bad emergencies. From excessive drinking to unexpected food reactions, Christmas dinner and holiday party traditions can sometimes take a wrong turn, nutrition experts say.
Additional sources • adaptation: Serge Duchêne
Health
