“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 1⁄2 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Unless their budget runs to a daily steak diet, a good cafeteria is often a better choice than other types of restaurants. The foods are usually plainly cooked, without much fat, and can be chosen individually. The chief problem is to develop the habit of passing by all the display of foods which must not be eaten. The temptation to add something extra is sometimes greater than it is at home.
If lunch is the only meal which must be eaten out, and there is no suitable eating place available, the problem may be solved by taking lunch from home. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Sometimes a person gets discouraged because, after a period of satisfactory loss, the scales show no drop for a week or more. But during these periods body measurements often continue to decrease. To know that another half inch has melted off the waistline is encouraging at such times. It stiffens resistance to the common temptation of saying, “Oh, what’s the use?” and stopping when success is in sight. Weight loss begins again if the diet is faithfully followed. ”

“ 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.
7
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. ”

“ The simplest way is to eat more at each meal—extra bread and butter, and second helpings of everything.
Often, however, underweight people seem to have a small stomach capacity. Therefore, additions of high-calorie foods which add little or no bulk are probably easier to take at first than trying to eat larger quantities. Such additions as cream on cereals and in beverages; extra eggs in puddings, salad dressings, and drinks; and butter or other fat used generously in salad dressings, cooking and seasoning should add enough calories to enable most people to gain weight. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A healthy person who decides to gain weight, and who sticks to his program of taking in more calories than he needs, and of spending as few as possible in needless physical activity, can be sure that sooner or later his efforts will meet with success. ”

“ Life is much easier in many ways for people who are not too fat or too thin. They usually feel and look better. They are apt to live longer. They are less likely to suffer from backaches, foot troubles, constant fatigue, and a host of daily discomforts. They have more fun buying clothes. Normal weight is worth any effort it takes to reach and keep—worth it in terms of everyday comfort and of a healthier, longer life. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 11 of buying smaller sizes in clothes are among the things which amply compensate for any early discomfort. ”

“ Anyone 20 percent or more below his best weight is considered underweight. Definite underweight is not desirable in young people who are still growing. It may be a symptom of disease. The glandular disorders so often erroneously blamed for overweight are much more likely to show themselves in loss of weight or inability to gain. Even when there is nothing wrong, people whose weight is too far below normal are more likely to suffer from fatigue and poor physical endurance. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ It may be described as the weight at which a person both looks and feels his best. Height, bone structure, and muscular development must all be taken into account.
Because no two people are alike, weight tables cannot show with complete accuracy exactly what every individual should weigh. The tables shown here are given as a guide rather than as a rigid standard to which everyone should conform. They show desirable weights for men and women at age 25 and over. After a person is full grown and has reached his best weight, he should not gain or lose much for the rest of his life. ”

“ 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. ”

“ These foods are necessary for maximum health, whether a person’s weight is too high, too low, or just right. Some underweight individuals whose food choices have been poor may find that they are able to gain merely by making sure that they include these foods in their diet. Others need to study ways to add extra calories. ”

“ As 9 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Constipation sometimes occurs when eating habits are changed suddenly. It can often be corrected by drinking more water and by using green, leafy vegetables more generously. The substitution of stewed, dried fruits for some fresh fruits may also help. The amount must be watched, because dried fruits are richer in calories than fresh fruits. They are often eaten in greater quantity and cooked with sugar.
People who are on a diet and who eat in restaurants a great deal have a problem. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The feeling of being unloved, dissatisfaction with personal relationships, discontent 23 over job, money, or social restrictions, and other reasons of this kind cause some people to react with indifference to eating just as they cause others to overeat. Keen rivalry, a wish to take part in everything, or too great an absorption in school or social activities sometimes cause over-activity and underweight among adolescents. ”

“ Anyone who really wants to get rid of excess poundage can do it. Lots of people have, with determination and persistence. 8 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The most important record to keep carefully is a list of the foods eaten each day, and the quantity. Such a list serves several purposes. It can be checked against the essential foods to make sure there are no omissions. ”