Anyone who is 15 or more pounds heavier than his desirable weight is
considered overweight. For those still in their 20’s or younger a
_little_ extra weight does no harm. For people over 30 it is not good.
Overweight is a danger signal, particularly for those over 40. Studies
of life insurance figures show that overweight people develop diabetes,
heart disease, high blood pressure, and other life-shortening conditions
earlier, and are apt to die younger, than people whose weight is normal.
They are poor surgical risks and have less resistance to infection.
Stout women are more likely to develop complications in pregnancy.
_What Makes a Person Fat?_
Most people are fat simply because they eat too much. This does not
necessarily mean that they stuff themselves with large quantities of
food. It does mean that they take in more calories[2] than their bodies
can use. This is often surprisingly easy to do, particularly for a
person who has poor eating habits.
Some people blame their overweight on metabolism (the rate at which
their bodies use energy) and on the glands which regulate metabolism. In
a very few cases, poorly functioning glands may _contribute_ to
overweight. Even then, the overweight patient who is under a physician’s
treatment for glandular disorders is able to lose weight when his food
intake is regulated.
What many people do not realize, however, is that the body’s energy
requirements usually change after age 30 or 40. As a person gets older,
metabolism slows down, and fewer calories are needed to maintain weight.
The trouble is that eating habits usually stay exactly the same, while
physical activity often decreases.
Heredity is often claimed as a cause of overweight. Careful studies do
not bear this out. Heredity does determine the type of body build a
person has, but when people from overweight families change their eating
habits it has been proved that they, too, can lose weight.
Actually, most overweight people readily admit that their excess
poundage comes from overeating. They say they just don’t seem to be able
to stop. Knowing why a thing is hard to do sometimes makes it easier to
change.
_Why Do People Overeat?_
Many people eat more than they need for reasons that have little to do
with hunger. Habit is one of them. Eating habits are set in patterns
which have often been followed for years. Such patterns are not always
easy to change, but with persistence and determination they can be
altered.
Some people develop the habit of overeating because good food and plenty
of it is a family tradition. Some fall into the habit because of
sociability. They eat more frequently and so consume greater amounts of
food than they need. Some people consider food as a symbol of success or
social standing, and so eating rich food and too much of it becomes a
custom. Not infrequently the habit is established in pregnancy, in
convalescence from some illness, or in other situations when extra food
may be required.
Other common reasons have their roots in the emotions. Some people eat
constantly because they are bored, and eating is something pleasant to
do. Others because they are lonely, or feel unloved, or suffer from
discontent about money, job, family relationships, or social standing.
People who overeat for such reasons usually find it necessary to do
something about their emotional problems before they are able to tackle
their eating habits successfully.
_How to Lose Weight_
Physical condition, degree of overweight, and individual living habits
must all be carefully evaluated before an effective, safe reducing plan
can be worked out. No one can do all this for himself. Only a physician
has the necessary skill and equipment to decide how much, how fast, and
with what treatment a person should lose weight. What benefits one may
harm another. Therefore, a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.
Anyone who really wants to get rid of excess poundage can do it. Lots of
people have, with determination and persistence. Desire and will power
are “musts” in any reducing program.
Everyone knows that self-denial is not easy and that changing
long-established habits taxes the strongest will. Therefore, a person
who is trying to do this difficult job deserves the help and support of
his family and friends. Few people are able to persist in any course of
action in the face of commiseration, indifference, ridicule, or
opposition from those they love and respect.
To be worth anything, a loss of weight must be permanent. Therefore,
anyone who wants to benefit from a weight-reduction program must make up
his mind that he is changing his eating habits for life. Going back to
old patterns will only pile up the pounds all over again. Unless this
fact is accepted, reducing efforts will probably be wasted.
_The Body’s Need for Food_
Awake or asleep, the body needs energy for every breath, every
heartbeat, every activity of living. Food supplies this energy which is
measured in units called calories.
When a person eats only enough to supply the energy he uses, his weight
stays the same. If he takes in more calories than he needs, the excess
is stored as fat. If his food adds up to fewer calories than he needs,
his body takes the extra energy out of its storehouse of fat, and a loss
in weight occurs. Reducing diets are based on this simple principle:
_taking in fewer calories than needed to force the body to use its
stored fat_.
Foods vary in the number of calories they contain. As most people know,
fats of all kinds have the most calories. One tablespoon of butter, for
example, has in it about as many calories as a good slice of lean roast
beef, or a cup of beets, or a quarter of a pound of cod steak. Sugars,
alcohol, and starches are the next richest source of calories. Starches
include cereals, flour and everything made with flour, potatoes, peas,
beans, and corn. When calories must be cut down to make the body use
stored fat, alcoholic drinks and foods rich in fats, sugars, and
starches are the first to be restricted.
However, no one can lose weight safely by counting calories alone. In
the 1920’s, when a slim, boyish figure was in style, many girls and
women made themselves seriously ill by reducing their weight without
regard to the kinds of food they ate.
For good health, food must supply everyone—young and old alike—with more
than calories. The body is constantly repairing and renewing itself. New
cells are always growing to replace those worn out in doing their work.
In babies, children, and young people, cell-making is going on at top
speed, because actual growth is taking place. As in any building
process, the right materials are needed. The body’s most essential
building and maintenance materials are found in proteins. Foods richest
in proteins include milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese.
Two other elements necessary for health are vitamins and minerals. Some
of these are found in the same foods which are rich in protein. Others
are found in grain products, fruits, vegetables, and fats.
To insure a well-balanced diet, made up of the protective foods
containing enough proteins, vitamins, and minerals, everyone should have
_daily_:
_Milk_—2 or more glasses for adults. 4 or more for children and
expectant and nursing mothers.
_Vegetables_—2 or more servings, green or yellow.
_Fruits_—2 servings, 1 a citrus fruit or tomato.
_Eggs_—1; at least 3 to 5 a week.
_Meat, fish, poultry, or cheese_—1 or more servings (dried legumes
may be substituted occasionally).
_Cereal and Bread_—2 servings, whole-grain or enriched.
_Fats_—1 to 3 tablespoons. (_In reducing diets, some of the fat
allowance may be in the cream in whole milk._)
People who are not overweight can add what they like to this list in the
way of other foods and second helpings, to make up their caloric
requirements. People who want to lose weight can add little or nothing.
That is the only real difference between a well-balanced normal diet and
a well-balanced reducing diet. Because this difference often means
restrictions on cakes, pastries, extra butter, rich sauces, cocktails,
beer, soft drinks, and other high-calorie favorites, it is a hard one
for many people to accept. Nevertheless, it must be accepted by everyone
who wants to lose weight.
Few people claim that the first days on a reducing diet are happy ones.
Some individuals find it easier to adjust than others, but all agree
that the period of discomfort does not last too long if they persevere.
They also claim that a wonderful feeling of physical vigor and
liberation follows as they lose weight. The ability to bend down again
with ease, the disappearance of unsightly bulges, and the pleasure of
buying smaller sizes in clothes are among the things which amply
compensate for any early discomfort.
_The Body’s Need for Exercise_
Every healthy person needs some exercise. Daily physical exertion is
good for muscle tone and circulation. It also helps to relieve the
tension many people pile up in the course of a day’s work.
Regular exercise, if not carried to the point of increasing hunger, can
help in a reducing program, because the more active a person is, the
more calories he needs to burn. But for the overweight individual,
exercise can never replace eating less. A person would have to walk
about five miles to use up the calories in one chocolate sundae. He
would have to saw wood for an hour or so to offset a piece of apple pie,
or walk about a mile to work off two graham crackers. Obviously, it is
simpler to avoid eating the sundae, the pie, or the crackers than to try
to exercise them off.
The decision about exercising while losing weight should be left to the
physician supervising the reducing program. The kind and amount of extra
physical activity which he advises will depend on age, physical
condition, and previous habits. For children and young patients he will
probably advise lots of exercise and active sports. For older people he
may not prescribe anything more strenuous than walking. For people with
heart or circulatory conditions, he may caution against any exercise.
The necessity for tailoring the treatment to the individual in this way
is one of the reasons why a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.
_What About Short Cuts?_
No one who has taken on the job of losing weight will say that the
self-denial involved is pleasant. It is only natural to wonder if there
isn’t an easier way: What about drugs, steam baths, massage, or other
quick methods?
Any drug which can increase the body’s rate of burning calories enough
to effect weight reduction without dieting is dangerous. One drug,
released in the early 1930’s without medical sanction, “worked”; but it
also caused deafness, blindness, and paralysis before it was withdrawn
from the market. Even if drugs are prescribed by a physician, they will
be used in addition to—not in place of—a diet.
Many people wonder about steam baths and massage as a short cut. Steam
baths are often a delusion. The profuse sweating which a steam bath
induces is apt to cause a sudden drop in weight because of water loss.
Thirst soon makes the average person replace the lost water, and his
weight is usually exactly what it was before.
Swedish massage is a relaxing luxury for those who can afford it. It is
good for the circulation, and helps to keep tissues in firm condition.
However, it will not take off pounds nor allow additions to the diet.
Nobody likes to believe unpleasant truths. Therefore, the search for
short cuts goes on. Ten-day wonder diets; special foods; spot-reducing
gadgets—many of these fads are harmless, though expensive and
ineffective. Some suggest, in small print, that special low-calorie
diets should be followed, thus acknowledging the disagreeable truth—that
there is no way to reduce safely without eating less. It all boils down
to this: No easy way is safe; no safe way is easy.
_How Many Calories?_
In planning the day’s food, it should be decided into which meals the
essential foods will go, and their calories should be computed first.
Choice may then dictate the selection of the foods to make up the rest
of the day’s allowance. All foods and most beverages supply calories;
therefore, it is important to know the calorie content of the usual
portions of different foods. Tables which list the calories in common
foods and beverages begin on page 25.
One of the most frequently selected diets for healthy adults who need to
reduce is a three-meal-a-day schedule allowing, in all, 1,200 calories.
Some people, however, cannot lose weight satisfactorily on a
1,200-calorie diet. The doctor may cut their daily calorie allowance to
1,000 if their progress is too slow, or increase it to 1,500 if they are
losing too rapidly. Examples of 1,000-, 1,200-, and 1,500-calorie diets
are given on pages 16-17. Diets which fall below 1,000 calories require
very close medical supervision and are usually used only in cases where
a rapid loss of weight is required for serious conditions.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are often prescribed for people on a
reducing diet, especially if it allows less than 1,200 calories. This is
to make doubly sure that the body gets all the vitamins and minerals it
needs. The use of such supplements is never intended to take the place
of eating the essential foods.
Some people, when they first see their reducing diet, are firmly
convinced that they have never eaten as much as their present diet
allows them to. They are judging the caloric value of their food by its
looks. The calories hidden in butter, sugar, and cream used for cooking
and in beverages are invisible.
Unfortunately, it is easy to make a 1,000-calorie diet, for example, add
up to about 2,000 merely by adding 4 tablespoons of butter to the
vegetables, sugar and cream to 3 cups of coffee or tea, a tablespoon of
French dressing on the salad, and substituting 3 halves of canned
peaches with sirup for the ½ cup of fresh fruit at lunch.
Few people stop to think that their hidden calories may be in the
cocktail, the glass of beer, or the soda pop which they love. Liquids go
down so quickly and easily that it is often hard to realize that they
can contribute to overweight. A glance at the calorie tables on pages 25
-32 will show why they are to be avoided by anyone who is trying to lose
weight.
_Some perfectly good foods which add extra calories to a diet are:_
Cake—especially with icing
Cookies
Cream
Candy
Salad oil
Fatty meat
Fried foods
Nuts
Olives
Chocolate
Coconut
More butter than is allowed on the diet
Gravy
Pastries
Avocados
Jelly and jam
Honey
Marmalade
Sirups
Sugar
Puddings
Sweetened beverages
_Remember_
1. To have 1½ pints of milk every day.
2. To cut the visible fat from meat.
3. To eat a salad or raw vegetable every day if possible.
4. To eat a green, leafy, or yellow vegetable every day.
5. To have a serving of citrus fruit, tomato, cantaloupe,
strawberries, or raw cabbage every day.
6. To choose the bread or cereal you use from enriched, whole-grain,
or rye varieties.