A new survey reveals that that Irish men take the Jolly old St. Nick image of Christmas a little too far, tucking away a whopping 6,000 calories of turkey, stuffing and chocolates on December 25th.

The survey, ironically carried out by the antacid company Maalox, found that 88 percent of men over-eat on Christmas day and, not surprisingly, 41 percent suffer from heartburn and indigestion. It seems that traditional, stodgy foods such as gravy, roast potatoes, mince pies and pudding are the choice calorie-laden foods of the day.

Doctor Michael O’Tighearnaigh, a general practitioner, told TheJournal.ie, “Christmas is supposedly a time to be merry, but it can be hard to feel any goodwill if you are feeling bloated, have trapped wind, indigestion or heartburn. Many men look on Christmas as the time of year when they can, literally, throw caution to the wind and go on a wild eating and drinking binge.”

Read more: The tipples, trifles and truffles that make an Irish Christmas

The doc gave some advice to the ravenous Irish males who admit they’ve a tendency to overeat at Christmas.

He said, “Chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly. This is the first stage of the body’s digestive process.

“Try not to eat and talk at the same time. You can swallow air which may add to bloating and trapped wind.

“Try to avoid drinking too much while eating as this dilutes the stomach acid and impairs digestion.

“Do not slump in front of the TV immediately after eating a heavy Christmas meal as a cramped digestive system works less efficiently.”

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