Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-04-03
BY Dorothy WaIeski


The end is in sight for my
12-week fast in the county's
reducing course. That's "a
days, 1886 hours or 1851
minutes, a goshdarn long
time no matter how you look
at it.
My goal of 1913 to 1876 pounds
hasn't quite been reached with
one week to go before the dead
line. But there are a good IL
pounds that seem to stay off in
spite of ups and downs of feast
ing and fasting in recent weeks.
On the credit side, there is the
blue plaid skirt and the green
silk print which have hung in
the closet untouched for year.
Now / can zip the zippers and
wear them without feeling like
a stuffed pillow.
It's as good as a brand new
wardrobe. AS for the clothes
that are now too big-just take
off the belts and there you have
the latest chemise or sack style.
But all is not rosy. 1 have yet
to accept the fact that dieting is
life sentence and worry about
what will happen when the prop
of the weekly check-up is re.
moved.
When the storm Cancelled our
meeting two weeks ago what do
you think / sat right down and
did? You're right, and, oh, did
all those lovely fattening foods
taste good!
Certainly the county's reduc-
ing course is not to blame for my
lapses. Mollie Eaton's program
has given me all the information
! need for good nutritional eat
ing habits.
And in the II weeks 1 have
built up few habits that l hope
will stick. / now reach for a
cigarette instead of a sweet and
my routine meals are usually
good for both me and my figure.
What Mollie Eaton can't give
me though is will power. There
is always that moment when
something seems to snap = the
world goes black, as they say,
and before you know what is
happening you are off on a hinge
of overeating.
Binge is exactly the right word.
1t brings us to the resemblance
between Overating and alcohol
ism.
Both DR.. Gerhardt Colts and
DR.. John Danish, the psychiatrist
and the medical doctor who spoke
to us, remarked on the similarity
between the two forms of over
indulgence.
In both cases there is that fate
full moment of decision" when
you have to say to yourself 81
will or II won't" Once you've
passed that point of no return you
are lost and out of control.
This period of self-indulgence
once started can last for days or
even weeks before you finally
come to your senses, pull up your
bOOtstraps and, resume sObriety
or dieting. Only now you have
added the weight of SeIf-disgust
and Encouragement.
The picture is grim for both
the glutton and the drunk. Elk
cept that for the first, the results
are not so drastic. Overeating
doesn't kill as quickly as alcohol
and there are few cases of the
home broken up because the
mother or father is big fat slob.
j However, the cure for alcohol
ism is within the realm of prob
ability. Never take that first
drink" is the answer here. OBJ
viously the poor fatty can't APP
ply this principle and stop eat
ing altogether.
Someplace between the first
bite" and the tenth or eleventh,
he's going to have to use his will
power and call halt all by him
self.
Also the alcoholics have found
their own solution in the organi.
zation Alcoholics Anonymous"
which uses the strength of the
many to reinforce and bolster up
the will power of the individual.