Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-06-14
Obesity is No Longer
+ Termed Joking Matter

Obesity is no longer joking mat
ter. Excess weight produces an un-
due strain on the, heart; is factor in
the production of diabetes in certain
types of people and is a common cause
of trouble with the feet and back.
The bulletin of the health committee
of the Minnesota State Medical As
sociation issued today urges the re-
duction of excess weight by means of
diet with an added warning not to go
to extremes.
MANY people have become dis
couraged in trying to reduce by re-
strictions of the diet and in almost
every case the failure is traced to a
lack of accuracy" declares the report.
1.-The diet should be prescribed as
definitely as medicine is prescribed
for a sick person. This is what is
meant by the phrase, count your cal
cries. The calorie is a unit of heat
and for this purpose our foods are
studied as to the number of calories
which the body can derive from CIV
en- amount. of food. Fat yields the
largest number of calories per pound,
and therefore, in the reducing diet
it must be most carefully restricted
and measured. The carbohydrate
foods are not so concentrated but on
the other hand, most people eat far
more carbohydrate than fat. There
fore, there is much practical truth
in the saying that to reduce weight
one must avoid starchy foods. The
protein portion of our food is ordinari-
ly not fattening because we do not
eat sufficient amounts of it to fur
nish an excess in the body. The i'm
portant thing in the reducing diet is
to have sufficient protein to protect
the body against unduly rapid loss
of weight and loss of strength which
may accompany too rapid drop: If
the diet is properly balanced and suf-
ficient protein is eaten, it is always
reported that during the process of
losing weight the individual feels
more energetic and in better spirits.
There is no reason for a reducing
diet to leave an individual hungry.
Reducing diets often seem to contain
more food than the individual has
eaten previously. The reason for this
is found in the choice of foods. If
foods are selected which are juicy
and bulky the stomach will be well
filled and hunger satisfied. These
foods, however, will contain larger
proportions of water and non-digest-
;blo rof,,eo opd HANOI will not bo fof
tening.
With the great reduction of body
weight which many young women
have brought about in their own cases
in the last two years, there is a seri-
Gus danger of their Gripping their re-
sistance to infections such as tuber-
culosis and tuberculosis occurs with
alarming frequency among young
adults. Furthermore, many who have
attempted such reducing programs
without first securing competent ad-
vice have caused themselves much
distress and have brought on states
of nervous depression.
'It is never safe to continuously
lose weight faster than three pounds
in week. If this happens, the diet
should be increased. If the weight
reduction is disappointingly slow and
the diet is being carefully measured,
there are two things to be taken into
consideration. One is that the ex-
ercise is probably irregular and some
benefit may come from having the ex-
ercise prescribed definitely and OBJ
served regularly. If these two meas
ures do not suffice then it is almost
a certain conclusion that the individu-
al needs medical attention for some
one of the quite uncommon causes of
excess body weight. Tt really is worth
insisting upon that no individual at
tempt any radical change in body
weight without securing the advice
and consent of his family physician