It is best to maintain desirable weight for one’s height at all ages,
even during childhood. Here are two principles that you can use—
• Reduce food intake as you become less active. Exercise and activity
use up energy—or calories. If you cut down activity but not food, you
are providing more energy than the body needs. The excess is stored as
fat.
• Reduce food intake as you—as an adult—get older. As adults grow
older, less energy is needed to keep the body functioning.
To reduce food intake without shortchanging the body of essential
nutrients, follow the pattern of choices suggested by the Daily Food
Guide. Weight watchers need the same types of food for health as
everyone else. Crash diets and food fads are not the answer and may be
dangerous to health.
Cut down on food, but don’t cut out any important kinds of foods.
Snacks are counted as a part of the day’s total food. Sensible snacking
can help meet nutritional needs, but indiscriminate eating between
meals usually leads to more calories than are wanted, less of some
nutrients than are needed.
Specific information on controlling weight is given in Home and Garden
Bulletin 74, “Food and Your Weight.” It includes basic weight-control
facts, suggestions for reducing or gaining weight, meals and menus, and
calorie values of common foods.