The Project Gutenberg eBook of Overweight and Underweight, by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

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Title: Overweight and Underweight

Author: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

Release Date: September 6, 2021 [EBook #66226]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ***

OVERWEIGHT

AND

UNDERWEIGHT

METROPOLITAN LIFE

INSURANCE COMPANY

HOME OFFICE: NEW YORK

Pacific Coast Head Office: San Francisco

Canadian Head Office: Ottawa

CONTENTS

PAGE

What Is Desirable Weight? 3

OVERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS 5

What Makes a Person Fat? 5

Why Do People Overeat? 6

How to Lose Weight 7

The Body’s Need for Food 8

The Body’s Need for Exercise 11

What About Short Cuts? 12

How Many Calories? 13

On Keeping a Record 19

Special Problems 19

UNDERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS 22

What Causes Underweight? 22

How to Gain Weight 23

Adding Extra Calories 24

Saving Energy 24

CALORIE TABLES 25

Edition of January 1953

COPYRIGHT 1950, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.

P.F.M.—PRINTED IN U.S.A.—(u) 380 L. W. (Edition Jan. 1953)

What Is Desirable Weight?

Desirable weight is a very individual thing. 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. It used to be considered inevitable and normal for people to get heavier toward middle age. We know now that it is not a normal part of getting older, not healthy, and not necessary.

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.

DESIRABLE WEIGHTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF AGES 25 AND OVER[1]

Weight in Pounds According to Frame (as Ordinarily Dressed)

men

HEIGHT

(with shoes on)

SMALL FRAME

MEDIUM FRAME

LARGE FRAME

Feet

Inches

5

2

116-125

124-133

131-142

5

3

119-128

127-136

133-144

5

4

122-132

130-140

137-149

5

5

126-136

134-144

141-153

5

6

129-139

137-147

145-157

5

7

133-143

141-151

149-162

5

8

136-147

145-156

153-166

5

9

140-151

149-160

157-170

5

10

144-155

153-164

161-175

5

11

148-159

157-168

165-180

6

0

152-164

161-173

169-185

6

1

157-169

166-178

174-190

6

2

163-175

171-184

179-196

6

3

168-180

176-189

184-202

women

HEIGHT

(with shoes on)

SMALL FRAME

MEDIUM FRAME

LARGE FRAME

Feet

Inches

4

11

104-111

110-118

117-127

5

0

105-113

112-120

119-129

5

1

107-115

114-122

121-131

5

2

110-118

117-125

124-135

5

3

113-121

120-128

127-138

5

4

116-125

124-132

131-142

5

5

119-128

127-135

133-145

5

6

123-132

130-140

138-150

5

7

126-136

134-144

142-154

5

8

129-139

137-147

145-158

5

9

133-143

141-151

149-162

5

10

136-147

145-155

152-166

5

11

139-150

148-158

155-169

OVERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS

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.

HELPFUL HINTS

1. Eat regular meals at regular times. Omitting a meal—particularly breakfast—is a strain on the body and a major cause of fatigue.

2. Eat all meals slowly and chew well. This helps to make smaller amounts of food more satisfying.

3. Never eat when emotionally upset or overtired. Relax or rest first.

4. Watch closely for hidden calories.

5. If drinking clear coffee or tea is too much of an ordeal, add some of the day’s allowance of milk, and use saccharin or another noncaloric sweetening agent. They may also be used to sweeten cooked fruits.

6. Stay away from highly seasoned foods. They stimulate the appetite.

7. Clear tea, coffee, or bouillon have no caloric values and may be used freely.

8. An average serving of meat is 3 ounces. Two eggs or ½ cup of cottage cheese can be substituted for 2 ounces of meat.

1000 CALORIE DIET

breakfast

Fresh fruit or juice

1 serving—½ cup

Egg—cooked without fat

1

Bread or cereal

1 slice of bread or small serving of cereal

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Skim milk or buttermilk

1 glass—8 ounces

Clear coffee or tea

dinner

Lean meat, fish, or poultry

3 ounces (average serving)

Vegetables[3]

½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group II

Skim milk or buttermilk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit—raw, or cooked or canned without sugar

1 serving—½ cup

lunch or supper

Cottage cheese, meat, or eggs

½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of meat, or 2 eggs

Vegetables[3]

½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group II

Skim milk or buttermilk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit—raw, or cooked or canned without sugar

1 serving—½ cup

1200 CALORIE DIET

breakfast

Fresh fruit or juice

1 serving—½ cup

Egg—cooked without fat

1

Bread or cereal

1 slice of bread or small serving of cereal

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Clear coffee or tea

dinner

Lean meat, fish, or poultry

3 ounces (average serving)

Vegetables[3]

½ cup Group I

Potato or bread

1 small potato or 1 slice of bread

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit—raw, or cooked or canned without sugar

1 serving—½ cup

lunch or supper

Cottage cheese, meat, or eggs

½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of meat, or 2 eggs

Vegetables[3]

½ cup raw Group I and ½ cup Group II

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit—raw, or cooked or canned without sugar

1 serving—½ cup

1500 CALORIE DIET

breakfast

Fresh fruit of juice

1 serving—½ cup

Egg—cooked without fat

1

Bread or cereal

1 slice of bread or a serving of cereal (1 cup prepared or ½ cup cooked)

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Coffee or tea

Cream

1 tablespoon

dinner

Lean meat, fish, or poultry

3 ounces (average serving)

Vegetables[3]

½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group II

Potato

1 small

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit—raw, or cooked or canned without sugar

1 serving—½ cup

lunch or supper

Cottage cheese, meat, or eggs

½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of meat, or 2 eggs

Vegetables[3]

½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group II

Bread

1 slice

Butter or margarine

1 level teaspoon

Milk

1 glass—8 ounces

Fruit, plain custard, or plain cookies

½ cup of fruit or custard, or 2 cookies

Vegetables are listed below in two groups, according to their carbohydrate content. Those in Group I have no more than 3 percent carbohydrate, and those in Group II have no more than 9 percent. It is simpler to choose the vegetables according to the listings than to count the calories for each vegetable in the day’s meals.

Where the diets on pages 16-17 call for fruits, these may be chosen from the lower-calorie fruits listed below.

vegetables

GROUP I

Asparagus

Beet greens

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Chicory

Chinese Cabbage

Cucumber

Endive

Escarole

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard greens

Radishes

Sauerkraut

Spinach

Summer squash

Tomato Juice

Tomatoes

Turnip tops

Watercress

GROUP II

Artichokes

Beans, green

Beans, wax

Beets

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Collards

Dandelion greens

Eggplant

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lambsquarters

Okra

Onions

Peppers

Pumpkin

Rutabagas

Squash, winter

Turnips

fruit

Apples

Apricots

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Cranberries

Currants

Gooseberries

Grapefruit

Grapefruit juice

Lemons

Limes

Loganberries

Melons

Cantaloupe

Casaba

Honeydew

Spanish

Watermelon

Oranges

Orange juice

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Pineapple juice

Plums

Raspberries

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Tangerines

On Keeping a Record

Most people find it helpful to keep a record of their progress. Weight should be recorded once a week only. To show progress accurately, the same scales should be used at the same time of the day.

It is also helpful to make weekly notes of body measurements. 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.

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. It will help the doctor in adjusting a diet to slower or faster weight loss, as the need may be. It is useful as a reminder of slips and indiscretions in eating or drinking which must be checked. It helps to keep a person convinced about the number of calories he is really taking in.

Special Problems

On a reducing diet many people find themselves eating more vegetables, raw fruits, and salads than they did before. Most of them benefit from the change. However, anyone who has previously had signs of ulcers, colitis, or other digestive disturbances should tell his physician. A person susceptible to such conditions may need to use raw fruits and vegetables sparingly, substituting fruits stewed without sugar, or perhaps using pureed vegetables.

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. 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. Some suggestions for a day’s menus, including low-calorie lunches which can be carried to work or school, are given on the opposite page.

PACKED LUNCH

for 1200 Calorie Diet

BREAKFAST

½ cup fruit

1 egg

1 slice toast

1 teaspoon butter

1 glass milk

Clear coffee or tea

LUNCH

Sandwich:

1 slice bread

1 teaspoon butter

1 ounce lean meat

1 hard cooked egg

wedge of raw cabbage

whole raw carrot

fresh fruit

1 glass milk

LUNCH

Sandwich:

2 thin slices bread

1 ounce lean meat

1 hard cooked egg

1 teaspoon mayonnaise

lettuce

2 stalks celery

1 small cucumber

fresh fruit

1 glass milk

LUNCH

Sandwich:

2 thin slices bread

2 ounces chicken or meat chopped and mixed with

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped celery and a little chopped onion

large fresh tomato

½ green pepper

fruit

1 glass skim milk

DINNER

3 ounces meat, fish, or poultry

½ cup vegetables from Group I and Group II

1 glass skim milk

½ cup fruit—fresh, or cooked or canned without sugar

UNDERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS

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. Resistance to infection is often lowered. Tuberculosis strikes more often among adolescents and young people who are underweight than it does among those whose weight is closer to what it should be.

What Causes Underweight?

Certain diseases and glandular disorders can cause underweight. In healthy people, however, underweight comes from eating too little, from poor eating habits, from over-activity or too little rest, and from worry or prolonged tension.

Many people eat too little for much the same reasons which make others eat too much. Habit frequently plays a part. Meals are irregular in some families, sometimes poorly prepared, and eating is considered the least important of the day’s activities. It is not surprising if the children from such families grow up with an indifferent attitude toward food.

Emotions may also play a part. The feeling of being unloved, dissatisfaction with personal relationships, discontent 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.

How to Gain Weight

As in overweight, the first step is to see a physician and have a thorough physical examination. It is important to find and correct anything which may be wrong. Efforts to gain may be useless unless this is done.

The same principles apply to gaining weight as to losing it, but in reverse. Underweight people must take in more calories than they use, so that there will be some left over to store as fat.

Will power can be as great a factor in gaining weight successfully as it is in losing, particularly for people who do not like many of the essential foods. They must learn to say “yes” to enough of the right foods, regardless of their wishes, just as firmly as their fat friends need to say “no” to forbidden extras.

As in overweight, it is important first to include the essential foods in the day’s meals. 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.

Adding Extra Calories

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. Also, provided they are added to regular meals and not used to replace them, the high-calorie foods listed on page 14 should be used freely by anyone trying to gain weight. If they do not interfere with eating enough at regular meals, between-meal snacks also help. So do extra milk and something to eat before going to bed.

Saving Energy

The body uses fewer calories at rest than when active, and least of all during sleep. Therefore, any extra sleep or rest which an underweight person gets will help him to gain. Whatever energy can be saved during waking hours by riding instead of walking, sitting instead of standing, and relaxing as often as possible will add to the calories saved.

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.

CALORIE TABLES

FOOD

MEASURES[4]

CALORIES

Almonds

12-15

100

Apple butter

1 tablespoon

40

Apples, baked

1 large and 2 tablespoons sugar

200

fresh

1 large

100

Applesauce, sweetened

½ cup

100

Apricots,

canned in sirup

3 large halves and 2 tablespoons juice

100

dried

10 halves

100

Asparagus, fresh or canned

5 stalks 5 inches long

15

Avocado

½ pear 4 inches long

265

Bacon

2-3 long slices cooked

100

Bacon fat

1 tablespoon

100

Banana

1 medium 6 inches long

100

Beans,

canned with pork

½ cup

130

dried

½ cup cooked

135

lima, fresh or canned

½ cup

100

snap, fresh or canned

½ cup

25

Beef

corned

1 slice 4 inches by 1½ by 1

100

dried

2 thin slices 4 by 5 inches

50

hamburg steak

1 patty (4 to 5 per pound)

150

round, lean

1 medium slice (2 ounces)

100

sirloin, lean

1 average slice (3 ounces)

150

tongue

2 slices 3 inches by 2 by ⅛

50

Beet greens

½ cup cooked

30

Beets, fresh or canned

2 beets 2 inches in diameter

50

Biscuits, baking powder

2 small

100

Blackberries, fresh

1 cup

100

Blueberries, fresh

1 cup

90

Bologna

1 slice 2 inches by ½ thick

100

Breads

Boston brown

1 slice 3 inches in diameter, ¾ thick

90

corn (1 egg)

1 2-inch square

120

cracked wheat

1 slice average

80

dark rye

1 slice ½ inch thick

70

light rye

1 slice ½ inch thick

75

white, enriched

1 slice average

75

white, enriched

1 slice thin

55

whole wheat, 60%

1 slice average

70

whole wheat, 100%

1 slice average

75

Broccoli

3 stalks 5½ inches long

100

Brownies

1 piece 2 inches by 2 by ¾

140

Brussels sprouts

6 sprouts ½ inch in diameter

50

Butter

1 tablespoon

95

Cabbage, cooked

½ cup

40

raw

1 cup

25

Cake

angel

¹/₁₀ of a large cake

155

chocolate or vanilla, no icing

1 piece 2 inches by 2 by 1

100

chocolate or vanilla, with icing

1 piece 2 inches by 1½ by 1

100

cup cake with chocolate icing

1 medium

250

Cantaloupe

½ of a 5½-inch melon

50

Carrots

1 carrot 4 inches long

25

Cashew nuts

4-5

100

Cauliflower

¼ of a head 4½ inches in diameter

25

Caviar

1 tablespoon

25

Celery

2 stalks

15

Cheese

American cheddar

1 cube 1⅛ inches square or three tablespoons grated

110

cottage

5 tablespoons

100

cream

2 tablespoons

100

Cherries, sweet

15 large

75

Chicken,

broiled

½ medium broiler

100

roast

1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼

100

Chinese cabbage

1 cup raw

20

Chocolate

almond bar

1 bar 5-cent size

200

fudge

1 piece 1 inch square by ¾ thick

100

malted milk

fountain size

460

mints

1 mint 1½ inches in diameter

100

plain bar

1 bar 5-cent size

240

sirup

¼ cup

195

unsweetened

1 square

162

Cider, sweet

1 cup

114

Clams

6 round

100

Cocoa, half milk, half water

1 cup

150

Cocoanut

3 tablespoons dry

100

Cod liver oil

1 tablespoon

100

Cod steak

1 piece 3½ inches by 2 by 1

100

Cola soft drinks

6-ounce bottle

75

Collards

½ cup cooked

50

Cooking fats, vegetable

1 tablespoon

100

Corn

½ cup

50

Corn sirup

1 tablespoon

75

Cornflakes

1 cup

80

Cornmeal

1 tablespoon uncooked

35

Cornstarch pudding

½ cup

200

Crackers

graham

1 square

40

peanut butter-cheese sandwich

1 cracker

45

round snack-type

1 cracker 2 inches in diameter

15

rye wafers

1 wafer

25

saltines

1 cracker 2 inches square

15

Cranberry sauce

¼ cup

100

Cream

light

2 tablespoons

65

heavy

2 tablespoons

120

whipped

3 tablespoons

100

Cream-puff shells

1 shell

85

Cucumber

½ medium

10

Custard, boiled or baked

½ cup

130

Dates

4

100

Egg

1 medium size

75

Eggplant

3 slices 4 inches in diameter ½-inch thick

50

Endive

average serving

10

Escarole

average serving

10

Figs, dried

3 small

100

Flour, white or whole grain

1 tablespoon unsifted

35

Frankfurter

1 sausage

100

Gelatin, fruit flavored

dry

3-ounce package

330

ready to serve

½ cup

85

Ginger ale

1 cup

85

Gingerbread, hot water

2-inch square

270

Grapefruit juice, unsweetened

1 cup

100

Grape juice

½ cup

80

Grape nuts

¼ cup

100

Grapes,

American or Tokay

1 bunch—22 average

75

seedless

1 bunch—30 average

75

Griddle cakes

1 cake 4 inches in diameter

75

Halibut

1 piece 3 inches by 1⅜ by 1

100

Ham, lean

1 slice 4¼ inches by 4 by ½

265

Hard sauce

1 tablespoon

100

Hickory nuts

12-15

100

Hominy grits

¾ cup cooked

100

Honey

1 tablespoon

100

Ice cream

½ cup

200

Ice cream soda

fountain size

325

Jellies and jams

1 rounded tablespoon

100

Kale

½ cup

50

Lamb, roast

1 slice 3½ inches by 4½ by ⅛

100

Lard

1 tablespoon

100

Lemon juice

1 tablespoon

5

Lettuce

2 large leaves

5

Liver

1 slice 3 inches by 3 by ½

100

Liverwurst

1 slice 3¼ inches by ½ thick

100

Lobster meat

1 cup

150

Macaroni

¾ cup cooked

100

Maple sirup

1 tablespoon

70

Margarine

1 tablespoon

100

Marshmallows

1

20

Milk

buttermilk

1 cup

85

condensed

1½ tablespoons

100

evaporated

½ cup (1 cup diluted)

160

skim milk, dried

2½ tablespoons

100

skim milk, fresh

1 cup

85

whole milk

1 cup

168

yogurt, plain

1 cup

160

Mints, cream

½ inch cube

5

Molasses

1 tablespoon

70

Muffins

bran

1 medium

90

1 egg

1 medium

130

Mushrooms

10 large

10

Mustard greens

½ cup cooked

31

Noodles

¾ cup cooked

100

Oatmeal

¾ cup cooked

100

Oil (corn, cottonseed, olive, and peanut)

1 tablespoon

100

Okra

10-15 pods

50

Olives

green

6 medium

50

ripe

4-5 medium

50

Onions

3-4 medium

100

Orange

1 medium

80

juice

1 cup

125

Oysters

5 medium

100

Parsnips

1 parsnip 7 inches long

100

Peaches

canned in sirup

2 large halves and 3 tablespoons juice

100

dried

4 medium halves

100

fresh

1 medium

50

Peanut butter

1 tablespoon

100

Peanuts

10

50

Pears

canned in sirup

3 halves and 3 tablespoons juice

100

fresh

1 medium

50

Peas

canned

½ cup

65

fresh, shelled

¾ cup

100

Pecans

6

100

Pepper, green

1 medium

20

Pickles, cucumber

sour and dill

10 slices 2 inches in diameter

10

sweet

1 small

10

Pies

(sectors from 9-inch pies)

apple

3-inch sector

200

lemon meringue

3-inch sector

300

mincemeat

3-inch sector

300

pumpkin

3-inch sector

250

Pineapple

canned, unsweetened

1 slice ½ inch thick and 1 tablespoon juice

50

fresh

1 slice ¾ inch thick

50

juice, unsweetened

1 cup

135

Plums

canned

2 medium and 1 tablespoon juice

50

fresh

2 medium

50

Popcorn

1½ cups popped

100

Popovers

1 popover

100

Pork chop, lean

1 medium

200

Potato chips

8-10 large

100

Potato salad with mayonnaise

½ cup

200

Potatoes

mashed

½ cup

100

sweet

½ medium

100

white

1 medium

100

Prune juice

½ cup

100

Prunes, dried

4 medium

100

Pumpkin

½ cup

50

Radishes

5

10

Raisins

¼ cup

90

Raspberries, fresh

1 cup

90

Rhubarb, stewed and sweetened

½ cup

100

Rice

¾ cup cooked

100

Roll, Parker House

1 medium

100

Rutabagas

½ cup

30

Salad dressing

boiled

1 tablespoon

25

French

1 tablespoon

90

mayonnaise

1 tablespoon

100

Salmon, canned

½ cup

100

Sardines, drained

5 fish 3 inches long

100

Sauerkraut

½ cup

15

Sherbet

½ cup

120

Soup, condensed

11-ounce can

Bouillon

25

Mushroom

360

Noodle

290

Tomato

230

Vegetable

200

Spaghetti

¾ cup cooked

100

Spinach

½ cup cooked

20

Squash

summer

½ cup cooked

20

winter

½ cup cooked

50

Strawberries, fresh

1 cup

90

Sugar

brown

1 tablespoon

35

granulated

1 tablespoon

50

powdered

1 tablespoon

40

Sweetbreads

1 pair medium-sized

240

Swiss chard

½ cup leaves and stems

30

Tangerines

1 medium

60

Tapioca, uncooked

1 tablespoon

50

Tomato juice

1 cup

60

Tomatoes, canned

½ cup

25

fresh

1 medium

30

Tuna fish, canned

¼ cup drained

100

Turkey, lean

1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼

100

Turnip

1 turnip 1¾ inches in diameter

25

Turnip greens

½ cup cooked

30

Veal, roast

1 slice 3 inches by 3¾ by ½

120

Waffles

1 waffle 6 inches in diameter

250

Walnuts

8

100

Watermelon

1 slice 6 inches in diameter 1½ inches thick

190

Wheat

flakes

¾ cup

100

germ

1 tablespoon

25

shredded

1 biscuit

100

Alcoholic Beverages

Beer

8 ounces

120

Gin

1½ ounces

120

Rum

1½ ounces

150

Whiskey

1½ ounces

150

Wines

champagne

4 ounces

120

port

1 ounce

53

sherry

1 ounce

38

table, red or white

4 ounces

89-95

FOOTNOTES

[1]These tables are based on numerous Medico-Actuarial studies of hundreds of thousands of insured men and women.

[2]A calorie is a measure of the amount of heat (energy) which the body can get from a given amount of food.

[3]See page 18 for list of Group I and II vegetables, and for lower-calorie fruits.

[4]1 cup equals 8 ounces. 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. 4 tablespoons equal ¼ cup.

Transcriber’s Notes

- Silently corrected a few typos.

- Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

- In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

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Table of Contents

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Overweight and Underweight, by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT

CONTENTS

What Is Desirable Weight?

OVERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS

What Makes a Person Fat?

Why Do People Overeat?

How to Lose Weight

The Body’s Need for Food

The Body’s Need for Exercise

What About Short Cuts?

How Many Calories?

Remember

HELPFUL HINTS

On Keeping a Record

Special Problems

UNDERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS

What Causes Underweight?

How to Gain Weight

Adding Extra Calories

Saving Energy

CALORIE TABLES

FOOTNOTES

Transcriber’s Notes

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE