Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-03
Ups AND DOWNS IN DAILY WEIGHT
A Man May Gain Three Pounds and
Six Ounces i'm One Day.

O<nowledge)
These are the days Of penny In the
slot" and possibly every one weighs
very frequently for his own amusement.
Even II the machines are not accurate,
the probability is that IL you weigh regu-
larry on the same machine you can see
correctly whether you Increase or dimin-
ISL in weight. We are not concerned here
with the steady increase or diminuuon
I'm weight at various times Of the year
or before and after an illness, but 1 want
20 draw attention TO the fact that IN
health we vary I'm weight from hour 10
hour. and that this does not seem 70 be
recognized. IL Is strange 10 see what
absurd fal.acies occupy the popular mind.
Apropos Of tho subject Of this paper, it
has been seriously asserted by many peO-
pie that you are naturally lighter after
a meal. and they have even gone the
length Of explaining this By the amount
OIL gas 4hat Is developed from the food.
These people must be very uncomfortable
after mealsl II reminds one rather OF
the famous fallacy said to have been
submitted TO the Royal Society, asking
why a nsh could be put into basin
brimful Of water without making II run
over. When it was tried at some ones
suggestion the water. of course, did run
over.
Surprising we want 20 find whether we
do really vary In weight or not. there are
two ways to set about the inquiry. We
can either sit in a weighing machine and
live there-whiCh does not commend itself
TO most Of us-or we can weigh ourselvcs
al regular times during the day, which ls
more feasible. Now, common sens
points out that we must vary in weigh
according 10 the amount Of food we take
In and the amount of material that w
lose. In the following statement the OBJ
servations are arranged IN such a way
as, l think, viii make them clear.
Statistics are always painful, unless the
writer has the wonderful power OK Mr..
Schooling, who certainly can make sta
tlstics attractive. But perhaps the most
convenient method IS TO look at the sum-
mary first, and this shows what
can be represented in figures without
much difficulty:
Averages A. NJ, before breakfast. 155
pounds ounces, losing during night 3
pounds ounces; 10 A. NJ, after break
fast, 157 pounds 4 ounces gaining during
night j pound y ounces; u noon, before
luncheon, lJ6 pounds 8 ounces, losing du-
ring night IA ounces; / Z. a., after
luncheon. l57 pounds ounces gaining
during night 1 pound: Z. NJ, before din
ner, lj6 pounds j. ounces losing 10 ounces;
GI5 j. NJ, after dinner. 15S pounds Is
ounces gaining during the night pounds
ounces.
by these It will be seen that we lose
pounds ounces between night and
morning; that we gain ! pound - ounces
by breakfast, that We again lose about
Il ounces before luncheon; that luncheon
puts on an average OF / pound; that we
again lose during the afternoon an ave-
rage Of ID ounces; but cnat an ordinary
dinner TO healthy persons adds 2 pounds
ounces 10 their weight What woJl1
be the result OF q big dinner? 10 is easier
20 imagine than 10 describe. And yet on
more than one day there was a difference
OF pounds 8 ounces; but this is not very
excessive considering that a pint Of nuid
weighs about "a pound.