The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-14

questions of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
less admiringly-"24O pounds OF
blubber."
There is good physiology be-
hind such estimates. II is not diff
fcult to spot the fellow who is
manifestly overweight for his
height. but who looks as if it were
natural fesh-it's muscle and he
a sure enough strong man. And
quite as easy TO diagnose that
roly-poly who may have a few
muscles left but all Of them are
larded and covered and inhltrated
with fat cells.
Not only that but there is a
fundamental difference in the out
look for these different kinds Of
people. The warnings against the
dangers Of overweight do not ap-
ply TO the first fellow. His muscles
will keep him active and his ar
teries supple and burn up his ener-
gy and so avoid the diabetes and
heart disease that 20 with the
other group whose overweight
goes by the less beautiful name Of
obesity.
Test For Fat
II is fairly easy, as | say, by a
mere glance to spot the extreme
examples among these groups.
But what about the intermediates
the fatties who are pretty ac-
tive, the bull moose who looks just
a little puffy? If a person is over
weight and belligerently contends
il is all muscle, and the doctor
thinks otherwise, is there any ex-
act scientific test to prove which
is right?
Yes, a method had been devised
by some Navy doctors, from which
infer that it may be important
for the armed forces to know
whether their overweight men can
really stand the gaff or not.
1t should be called the Eureka
test" because it goes right back
to the description of our old friend
Archiniedes on about page 276 Of
Myers Ancient History. For the
benefit of those who have for
gotten or who are so young they
never had the cultural advantages
of that inspiring text book, let me
remind them that Archir1edes was
the oacial scientist Of Syracuse
about ESQ BIC. He was the gov
eminent researcher for the ty-
rants of those parts, and on one
occasion Heron, the tyrant pro
TEN, who was thinking of indulg-
ing himself in a new crown, asked
Archimedes to determine whether
the proffered article was pure gold
or alleged with silver.
Specific Gravity Test
Offhand Archimedes didn't know
OF q way, but being a researcher
he took his problems to his bath
tub where he noticed that when
Archimedes got in a certain amount
of water stopped out. He realized
that this was in accordance with
density, or specific gravity, and
that gold and silver would displace
different amounts Of water, so he
did a nudist marathon to the pal
ace crying - Eureka" - upon
which Heron was very grateful to
him and gave him a clean toga to
60 home in.
The Navy doctors, applying this
principle, determined the specific
gravity Of different human bodies
by hydrostatic weighing, lie
equivalent volume-weight in air
minus weight in water allowing
for error due to air in the lungs
and intestines which they can cal
culate. They found that there is a
difference in specific gravity be-
tween those who have extra fat
and those made up of muscle. The
specific gravity of fat men whose
abdominal circumference APP
proaches or exceeds that Of the
chest is 1920 to 1880. Lean men
in the naval service with an aver
age Of $50 pounds weight have q
specific gravity of about 1890.
In treatment it is much easier
to remove the extra fat of the low
specific GRANTEES than that of the
comparatively high specific grav-
tiles.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
B. L.: | have a very bad case
Of chronic laryngitis. l have tried
numerous remedies, but nothing
helps me. Is there something can
do to help cure me of this afflic-
ton?
Answer: In a stubborn case of
this kind remedies" are not CAL
culated to do any good. The symp-
toms Of laryngitis in your case ara
probably due 10 a wart, or some
such grcwth, on the vocal cords.
Go to a good throat specialist for
a thorough examination and adj
vice.