Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1919-11-28
Whether You Are Fat or
Thin Is a Matter of In
divioual Opinion
IF THIN SEE DOCTOR
Health Officer Foulks Says Bad
Teeth and Eye Strain Frequently
Cause Underweight.

Most every fat man wants to be
thinner and the thin man thinks ma
ture has grossly cheated him by
not making him fat. But why be
fat if you can live just as lorg and
not have to carry the extra weight.
Taking it in a broad way, we might
think that a mans weight would de-
pend more or less upon the size Of
his salary, but the thinnest man !
ever knew was drawing $4,000 per
year! 1t is just possible that he
got thin trying to draw that salary,
but | knew another man who was
Admiral of a canal beat, and weigh
ed 4G3 pounds. He only got $40
per week. but suppose re got fat
in watching the mule draw 1.-THE
canal boat. mean.
But the point we are trying to ret
at is, when is Il man thin? AS
Shakespeare would say. "'rhat is the
question" Can man be thin and
at the same time be healthy and
normal. He can, hut allrwill depend
upon who is the judge of his state
of thinness
What one man would call thin,
another would describe as being
why and athletic, so there you are.
Therefore. up 20 certain limits,
either 30 called fatness or thinness
is purely d matter '2f individual
opinion, and that will-vary much
according to the fatness or thinness
of the person expressing it. If he
is an enemy. he will call him "thin
as a rail- or "fat as Il hog as the
case may be.
A person can be slim. yet not ac-
tually thin. Such candition is
perfectly normal. All people are
not built alike. The members Of
some families have been Of slim
built for generations past, and
doubtless will continue so until the
mixing Of blood will cause a grad
ual change.
If you consider yourself abnor-
mally fat or thin. have your doctor
make careful examination to de-
tcrmine the cause.
4 persons weight, it must be re-
membcrcd, is to a great extent, con-
trolled by his environment, kind Of
work. general mode of living and
state Of mind. Of course any organic
trouble or functional disorder may
manifest itself by affecting TIE
weight. Bad teeth are very COM
mon cause of underweight. Proper
masticaton Of food is prevented
and nutrition suffers. The var.-
Gus groups Of bacteria associated
with bad teeth, liberated gums and
assesses at the tips of the roots.
are carried into the stomach with
the food and frequently causes indi-
/ gcstion or chronic gastritis-a form
Of self poisoning.
There are so many serious trouh
les caused either directly or indi-
rcctly by bad teeth. that I cannot
impress too strongly upon MY read
crs the great Importance of having
dentist frequently inspect them for
defects.
Eye strain is another frequent
cause of underweight. as it very
often effects the entire nervous sys-
TEN and sets up ali sorts of obscure
disorders. If you have frequent
headaches. arc nervous and feel
generally all out of sorts, better
haze Your eyes "xamired.
Ard then there is worry. yes. just
simple worry-will take the fat off
Of yor and keep it off about as ef-
fectivc!y as any one thing know Of.
outside of some serious disease.
If you are just slim and it is nat
ural to you. don't worry. but if
you are actually thin, then there is
a reason. ask your doctor what 1t is