I must say there are times when I read what I've said and I do feel somewhat hypocritical, and a common time is when I read the Prophet's advice about how much I should be putting in my stomach. Oh if only I could show as much self-restraint as I suggest is the ideal way of living for other people.

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, a problem that many humans will relieve him of in the next few weeks in the most selfless way, by taking his fat upon themselves. The season of excess is upon us. A minute on the lips, but almost certainly much much longer on the hips.

I doubt if yesterday's Audit Commission Report will do much to modify behaviour patterns, even though it says that changes in our attitudes to diet, exercise and smoking habits, would save 8,000 premature deaths due to heart disease each year.

At the moment it's competing with double cream gushing out of nearly every advert, usually mixed with butter, sugar, eggs, and alcohol. There's suet in the pudding, brandy in the butter, and chocolate and cream in the liqueurs. Just what we need as an annual climax to our national diet of chips and deep fried pizzas.

That and a few days where the only muscles to be exercised will be fingers on the buttons of TV remote controls.

The Prophet said "There was never a vessel less worthy of filling than the stomach. Sufficient for the son of Adam are a few mouthfuls to keep his back straight. But if it has to be more, let one third of his stomach be for food, one third for drink, and let one third remain for air."

Now it may seem a bit of a cheek for a muslim to carp about the way that Christians celebrate Christmas, but viewed from outside it does appear less of a religious festival than a lemming like descent into self-destructive group madness, and it's a muslim's duty to at least tell his neighbour when his behaviour is dangerous to society and to himself, even if he does run the risk of making himself unpopular.

With much of the world dying of starvation, here we worry about death from self-indulgence. Surely this Saturnalia doesn't do justice to the birth of one who clearly allied his love and generosity with self-restraint?

The Prophet also said "there's a part of the body, which when it is diseased, the whole body is diseased, and when healthy the whole body is healthy - It is the heart.", and he wasn't just suggesting a change of diet. Let's all try and put our hearts at the centre of any upcoming celebrations this year.