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Title: Overweight and Underweight
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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UNDERWEIGHT ***
OVERWEIGHT
AND
UNDERWEIGHT
METROPOLITAN LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY
HOME OFFICE: NEW YORK
Pacific Coast Head Office: San Francisco
Canadian Head Office: Ottawa
CONTENTS
PAGE
What Is Desirable Weight? 3
Overweight and Its Dangers 5
What Makes a Person Fat? 5
Why Do People Overeat? 6
How to Lose Weight 7
The Body’s Need for Food 8
The Body’s Need for Exercise 11
What About Short Cuts? 12
How Many Calories? 13
On Keeping a Record 19
Special Problems 19
Underweight and Its Dangers 22
What Causes Underweight? 22
How to Gain Weight 23
Adding Extra Calories 24
Saving Energy 24
Calorie Tables 25
Edition of January 1953
COPYRIGHT 1950, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.
P.F.M.—PRINTED IN U.S.A.—(u) 380 L. W. (Edition Jan. 1953)
[Illustration: OVERWEIGHT and UNDERWEIGHT]
_What Is Desirable Weight?_
Desirable weight is a very individual thing. It may be described as the
weight at which a person both _looks_ and _feels_ his best. Height, bone
structure, and muscular development must all be taken into account.
Because no two people are alike, weight tables cannot show with complete
accuracy exactly what every individual should weigh. The tables shown
here are given as a guide rather than as a rigid standard to which
everyone should conform. They show desirable weights for men and women
at age 25 and over. After a person is full grown and has reached his
best weight, he should not gain or lose much for the rest of his life.
It used to be considered inevitable and normal for people to get heavier
toward middle age. We know now that it is not a normal part of getting
older, not healthy, and not necessary.
Life is much easier in many ways for people who are not too fat or too
thin. They usually feel and look better. They are apt to live longer.
They are less likely to suffer from backaches, foot troubles, constant
fatigue, and a host of daily discomforts. They have more fun buying
clothes. Normal weight is worth any effort it takes to reach and
keep—worth it in terms of everyday comfort and of a healthier, longer
life.
DESIRABLE WEIGHTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF AGES 25 AND OVER[1]
Weight in Pounds According to Frame (as Ordinarily Dressed)
_men_ HEIGHT SMALL FRAME MEDIUM FRAME LARGE FRAME
(with shoes on)
Feet Inches
5 2 116-125 124-133 131-142
5 3 119-128 127-136 133-144
5 4 122-132 130-140 137-149
5 5 126-136 134-144 141-153
5 6 129-139 137-147 145-157
5 7 133-143 141-151 149-162
5 8 136-147 145-156 153-166
5 9 140-151 149-160 157-170
5 10 144-155 153-164 161-175
5 11 148-159 157-168 165-180
6 0 152-164 161-173 169-185
6 1 157-169 166-178 174-190
6 2 163-175 171-184 179-196
6 3 168-180 176-189 184-202
_women_ HEIGHT SMALL FRAME MEDIUM FRAME LARGE FRAME
(with shoes on)
Feet Inches
4 11 104-111 110-118 117-127
5 0 105-113 112-120 119-129
5 1 107-115 114-122 121-131
5 2 110-118 117-125 124-135
5 3 113-121 120-128 127-138
5 4 116-125 124-132 131-142
5 5 119-128 127-135 133-145
5 6 123-132 130-140 138-150
5 7 126-136 134-144 142-154
5 8 129-139 137-147 145-158
5 9 133-143 141-151 149-162
5 10 136-147 145-155 152-166
5 11 139-150 148-158 155-169
OVERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS
Anyone who is 15 or more pounds heavier than his desirable weight is
considered overweight. For those still in their 20’s or younger a
_little_ extra weight does no harm. For people over 30 it is not good.
Overweight is a danger signal, particularly for those over 40. Studies
of life insurance figures show that overweight people develop diabetes,
heart disease, high blood pressure, and other life-shortening conditions
earlier, and are apt to die younger, than people whose weight is normal.
They are poor surgical risks and have less resistance to infection.
Stout women are more likely to develop complications in pregnancy.
_What Makes a Person Fat?_
Most people are fat simply because they eat too much. This does not
necessarily mean that they stuff themselves with large quantities of
food. It does mean that they take in more calories[2] than their bodies
can use. This is often surprisingly easy to do, particularly for a
person who has poor eating habits.
Some people blame their overweight on metabolism (the rate at which
their bodies use energy) and on the glands which regulate metabolism. In
a very few cases, poorly functioning glands may _contribute_ to
overweight. Even then, the overweight patient who is under a physician’s
treatment for glandular disorders is able to lose weight when his food
intake is regulated.
What many people do not realize, however, is that the body’s energy
requirements usually change after age 30 or 40. As a person gets older,
metabolism slows down, and fewer calories are needed to maintain weight.
The trouble is that eating habits usually stay exactly the same, while
physical activity often decreases.
Heredity is often claimed as a cause of overweight. Careful studies do
not bear this out. Heredity does determine the type of body build a
person has, but when people from overweight families change their eating
habits it has been proved that they, too, can lose weight.
Actually, most overweight people readily admit that their excess
poundage comes from overeating. They say they just don’t seem to be able
to stop. Knowing why a thing is hard to do sometimes makes it easier to
change.
_Why Do People Overeat?_
Many people eat more than they need for reasons that have little to do
with hunger. Habit is one of them. Eating habits are set in patterns
which have often been followed for years. Such patterns are not always
easy to change, but with persistence and determination they can be
altered.
Some people develop the habit of overeating because good food and plenty
of it is a family tradition. Some fall into the habit because of
sociability. They eat more frequently and so consume greater amounts of
food than they need. Some people consider food as a symbol of success or
social standing, and so eating rich food and too much of it becomes a
custom. Not infrequently the habit is established in pregnancy, in
convalescence from some illness, or in other situations when extra food
may be required.
Other common reasons have their roots in the emotions. Some people eat
constantly because they are bored, and eating is something pleasant to
do. Others because they are lonely, or feel unloved, or suffer from
discontent about money, job, family relationships, or social standing.
People who overeat for such reasons usually find it necessary to do
something about their emotional problems before they are able to tackle
their eating habits successfully.
_How to Lose Weight_
Physical condition, degree of overweight, and individual living habits
must all be carefully evaluated before an effective, safe reducing plan
can be worked out. No one can do all this for himself. Only a physician
has the necessary skill and equipment to decide how much, how fast, and
with what treatment a person should lose weight. What benefits one may
harm another. Therefore, a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.
Anyone who really wants to get rid of excess poundage can do it. Lots of
people have, with determination and persistence. Desire and will power
are “musts” in any reducing program.
Everyone knows that self-denial is not easy and that changing
long-established habits taxes the strongest will. Therefore, a person
who is trying to do this difficult job deserves the help and support of
his family and friends. Few people are able to persist in any course of
action in the face of commiseration, indifference, ridicule, or
opposition from those they love and respect.
To be worth anything, a loss of weight must be permanent. Therefore,
anyone who wants to benefit from a weight-reduction program must make up
his mind that he is changing his eating habits for life. Going back to
old patterns will only pile up the pounds all over again. Unless this
fact is accepted, reducing efforts will probably be wasted.
_The Body’s Need for Food_
Awake or asleep, the body needs energy for every breath, every
heartbeat, every activity of living. Food supplies this energy which is
measured in units called calories.
When a person eats only enough to supply the energy he uses, his weight
stays the same. If he takes in more calories than he needs, the excess
is stored as fat. If his food adds up to fewer calories than he needs,
his body takes the extra energy out of its storehouse of fat, and a loss
in weight occurs. Reducing diets are based on this simple principle:
_taking in fewer calories than needed to force the body to use its
stored fat_.
Foods vary in the number of calories they contain. As most people know,
fats of all kinds have the most calories. One tablespoon of butter, for
example, has in it about as many calories as a good slice of lean roast
beef, or a cup of beets, or a quarter of a pound of cod steak. Sugars,
alcohol, and starches are the next richest source of calories. Starches
include cereals, flour and everything made with flour, potatoes, peas,
beans, and corn. When calories must be cut down to make the body use
stored fat, alcoholic drinks and foods rich in fats, sugars, and
starches are the first to be restricted.
However, no one can lose weight safely by counting calories alone. In
the 1920’s, when a slim, boyish figure was in style, many girls and
women made themselves seriously ill by reducing their weight without
regard to the kinds of food they ate.
For good health, food must supply everyone—young and old alike—with more
than calories. The body is constantly repairing and renewing itself. New
cells are always growing to replace those worn out in doing their work.
In babies, children, and young people, cell-making is going on at top
speed, because actual growth is taking place. As in any building
process, the right materials are needed. The body’s most essential
building and maintenance materials are found in proteins. Foods richest
in proteins include milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese.
Two other elements necessary for health are vitamins and minerals. Some
of these are found in the same foods which are rich in protein. Others
are found in grain products, fruits, vegetables, and fats.
To insure a well-balanced diet, made up of the protective foods
containing enough proteins, vitamins, and minerals, everyone should have
_daily_:
_Milk_—2 or more glasses for adults. 4 or more for children and
expectant and nursing mothers.
_Vegetables_—2 or more servings, green or yellow.
_Fruits_—2 servings, 1 a citrus fruit or tomato.
_Eggs_—1; at least 3 to 5 a week.
_Meat, fish, poultry, or cheese_—1 or more servings (dried legumes
may be substituted occasionally).
_Cereal and Bread_—2 servings, whole-grain or enriched.
_Fats_—1 to 3 tablespoons. (_In reducing diets, some of the fat
allowance may be in the cream in whole milk._)
People who are not overweight can add what they like to this list in the
way of other foods and second helpings, to make up their caloric
requirements. People who want to lose weight can add little or nothing.
That is the only real difference between a well-balanced normal diet and
a well-balanced reducing diet. Because this difference often means
restrictions on cakes, pastries, extra butter, rich sauces, cocktails,
beer, soft drinks, and other high-calorie favorites, it is a hard one
for many people to accept. Nevertheless, it must be accepted by everyone
who wants to lose weight.
Few people claim that the first days on a reducing diet are happy ones.
Some individuals find it easier to adjust than others, but all agree
that the period of discomfort does not last too long if they persevere.
They also claim that a wonderful feeling of physical vigor and
liberation follows as they lose weight. The ability to bend down again
with ease, the disappearance of unsightly bulges, and the pleasure of
buying smaller sizes in clothes are among the things which amply
compensate for any early discomfort.
_The Body’s Need for Exercise_
Every healthy person needs some exercise. Daily physical exertion is
good for muscle tone and circulation. It also helps to relieve the
tension many people pile up in the course of a day’s work.
Regular exercise, if not carried to the point of increasing hunger, can
help in a reducing program, because the more active a person is, the
more calories he needs to burn. But for the overweight individual,
exercise can never replace eating less. A person would have to walk
about five miles to use up the calories in one chocolate sundae. He
would have to saw wood for an hour or so to offset a piece of apple pie,
or walk about a mile to work off two graham crackers. Obviously, it is
simpler to avoid eating the sundae, the pie, or the crackers than to try
to exercise them off.
The decision about exercising while losing weight should be left to the
physician supervising the reducing program. The kind and amount of extra
physical activity which he advises will depend on age, physical
condition, and previous habits. For children and young patients he will
probably advise lots of exercise and active sports. For older people he
may not prescribe anything more strenuous than walking. For people with
heart or circulatory conditions, he may caution against any exercise.
The necessity for tailoring the treatment to the individual in this way
is one of the reasons why a reducing program should be undertaken only
under medical supervision.
_What About Short Cuts?_
No one who has taken on the job of losing weight will say that the
self-denial involved is pleasant. It is only natural to wonder if there
isn’t an easier way: What about drugs, steam baths, massage, or other
quick methods?
Any drug which can increase the body’s rate of burning calories enough
to effect weight reduction without dieting is dangerous. One drug,
released in the early 1930’s without medical sanction, “worked”; but it
also caused deafness, blindness, and paralysis before it was withdrawn
from the market. Even if drugs are prescribed by a physician, they will
be used in addition to—not in place of—a diet.
Many people wonder about steam baths and massage as a short cut. Steam
baths are often a delusion. The profuse sweating which a steam bath
induces is apt to cause a sudden drop in weight because of water loss.
Thirst soon makes the average person replace the lost water, and his
weight is usually exactly what it was before.
Swedish massage is a relaxing luxury for those who can afford it. It is
good for the circulation, and helps to keep tissues in firm condition.
However, it will not take off pounds nor allow additions to the diet.
Nobody likes to believe unpleasant truths. Therefore, the search for
short cuts goes on. Ten-day wonder diets; special foods; spot-reducing
gadgets—many of these fads are harmless, though expensive and
ineffective. Some suggest, in small print, that special low-calorie
diets should be followed, thus acknowledging the disagreeable truth—that
there is no way to reduce safely without eating less. It all boils down
to this: No easy way is safe; no safe way is easy.
_How Many Calories?_
In planning the day’s food, it should be decided into which meals the
essential foods will go, and their calories should be computed first.
Choice may then dictate the selection of the foods to make up the rest
of the day’s allowance. All foods and most beverages supply calories;
therefore, it is important to know the calorie content of the usual
portions of different foods. Tables which list the calories in common
foods and beverages begin on page 25.
One of the most frequently selected diets for healthy adults who need to
reduce is a three-meal-a-day schedule allowing, in all, 1,200 calories.
Some people, however, cannot lose weight satisfactorily on a
1,200-calorie diet. The doctor may cut their daily calorie allowance to
1,000 if their progress is too slow, or increase it to 1,500 if they are
losing too rapidly. Examples of 1,000-, 1,200-, and 1,500-calorie diets
are given on pages 16-17. Diets which fall below 1,000 calories require
very close medical supervision and are usually used only in cases where
a rapid loss of weight is required for serious conditions.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are often prescribed for people on a
reducing diet, especially if it allows less than 1,200 calories. This is
to make doubly sure that the body gets all the vitamins and minerals it
needs. The use of such supplements is never intended to take the place
of eating the essential foods.
Some people, when they first see their reducing diet, are firmly
convinced that they have never eaten as much as their present diet
allows them to. They are judging the caloric value of their food by its
looks. The calories hidden in butter, sugar, and cream used for cooking
and in beverages are invisible.
Unfortunately, it is easy to make a 1,000-calorie diet, for example, add
up to about 2,000 merely by adding 4 tablespoons of butter to the
vegetables, sugar and cream to 3 cups of coffee or tea, a tablespoon of
French dressing on the salad, and substituting 3 halves of canned
peaches with sirup for the ½ cup of fresh fruit at lunch.
Few people stop to think that their hidden calories may be in the
cocktail, the glass of beer, or the soda pop which they love. Liquids go
down so quickly and easily that it is often hard to realize that they
can contribute to overweight. A glance at the calorie tables on pages 25
-32 will show why they are to be avoided by anyone who is trying to lose
weight.
_Some perfectly good foods which add extra calories to a diet are:_
Cake—especially with icing
Cookies
Cream
Candy
Salad oil
Fatty meat
Fried foods
Nuts
Olives
Chocolate
Coconut
More butter than is allowed on the diet
Gravy
Pastries
Avocados
Jelly and jam
Honey
Marmalade
Sirups
Sugar
Puddings
Sweetened beverages
_Remember_
1. To have 1½ pints of milk every day.
2. To cut the visible fat from meat.
3. To eat a salad or raw vegetable every day if possible.
4. To eat a green, leafy, or yellow vegetable every day.
5. To have a serving of citrus fruit, tomato, cantaloupe,
strawberries, or raw cabbage every day.
6. To choose the bread or cereal you use from enriched, whole-grain,
or rye varieties.
HELPFUL HINTS
1. Eat regular meals at regular times. Omitting a meal—particularly
breakfast—is a strain on the body and a major cause of
fatigue.
2. Eat all meals slowly and chew well. This helps to make smaller
amounts of food more satisfying.
3. Never eat when emotionally upset or overtired. Relax or rest first.
4. Watch closely for hidden calories.
5. If drinking clear coffee or tea is too much of an ordeal, add some
of the day’s allowance of milk, and use saccharin or
another noncaloric sweetening agent. They may also be used
to sweeten cooked fruits.
6. Stay away from highly seasoned foods. They stimulate the appetite.
7. Clear tea, coffee, or bouillon have no caloric values and may be
used freely.
8. An average serving of meat is 3 ounces. Two eggs or ½ cup of
cottage cheese can be substituted for 2 ounces of meat.
1000 CALORIE DIET
breakfast
Fresh fruit or juice 1 serving—½ cup
Egg—cooked without fat 1
Bread or cereal 1 slice of bread or small
serving of cereal
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Skim milk or buttermilk 1 glass—8 ounces
Clear coffee or tea
dinner
Lean meat, fish, or poultry 3 ounces (average serving)
Vegetables[3] ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
II
Skim milk or buttermilk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit—raw, or cooked or 1 serving—½ cup
canned without sugar
lunch or
supper
Cottage cheese, meat, or ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
eggs meat, or 2 eggs
Vegetables[3] ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
II
Skim milk or buttermilk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit—raw, or cooked or 1 serving—½ cup
canned without sugar
1200 CALORIE DIET
breakfast
Fresh fruit or juice 1 serving—½ cup
Egg—cooked without fat 1
Bread or cereal 1 slice of bread or small
serving of cereal
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Clear coffee or tea
dinner
Lean meat, fish, or poultry 3 ounces (average serving)
Vegetables[3] ½ cup Group I
Potato or bread 1 small potato or 1 slice of
bread
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit—raw, or cooked or 1 serving—½ cup
canned without sugar
lunch or
supper
Cottage cheese, meat, or ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
eggs meat, or 2 eggs
Vegetables[3] ½ cup raw Group I and ½ cup
Group II
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit—raw, or cooked or 1 serving—½ cup
canned without sugar
1500 CALORIE DIET
breakfast
Fresh fruit of juice 1 serving—½ cup
Egg—cooked without fat 1
Bread or cereal 1 slice of bread or a serving
of cereal (1 cup prepared or
½ cup cooked)
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Coffee or tea
Cream 1 tablespoon
dinner
Lean meat, fish, or poultry 3 ounces (average serving)
Vegetables[3] ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
II
Potato 1 small
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit—raw, or cooked or 1 serving—½ cup
canned without sugar
lunch or
supper
Cottage cheese, meat, or ½ cup of cheese, 2 ounces of
eggs meat, or 2 eggs
Vegetables[3] ½ cup Group I and ½ cup Group
II
Bread 1 slice
Butter or margarine 1 level teaspoon
Milk 1 glass—8 ounces
Fruit, plain custard, or ½ cup of fruit or custard, or
plain cookies 2 cookies
Vegetables are listed below in two groups, according to their
carbohydrate content. Those in Group I have no more than 3 percent
carbohydrate, and those in Group II have no more than 9 percent. It is
simpler to choose the vegetables according to the listings than to count
the calories for each vegetable in the day’s meals.
Where the diets on pages 16-17 call for fruits, these may be chosen from
the lower-calorie fruits listed below.
_vegetables_
GROUP I
Asparagus
Beet greens
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Chinese Cabbage
Cucumber
Endive
Escarole
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Radishes
Sauerkraut
Spinach
Summer squash
Tomato Juice
Tomatoes
Turnip tops
Watercress
GROUP II
Artichokes
Beans, green
Beans, wax
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Collards
Dandelion greens
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lambsquarters
Okra
Onions
Peppers
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Squash, winter
Turnips
_fruit_
Apples
Apricots
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Currants
Gooseberries
Grapefruit
Grapefruit juice
Lemons
Limes
Loganberries
Melons
Cantaloupe
Casaba
Honeydew
Spanish
Watermelon
Oranges
Orange juice
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Pineapple juice
Plums
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerines
_On Keeping a Record_
Most people find it helpful to keep a record of their progress. Weight
should be recorded once a week only. To show progress accurately, the
same scales should be used at the same time of the day.
It is also helpful to make weekly notes of body measurements. Sometimes
a person gets discouraged because, after a period of satisfactory loss,
the scales show no drop for a week or more. But during these periods
body measurements often continue to decrease. To know that another half
inch has melted off the waistline is encouraging at such times. It
stiffens resistance to the common temptation of saying, “Oh, what’s the
use?” and stopping when success is in sight. Weight loss begins again if
the diet is faithfully followed.
The most important record to keep carefully is a list of the foods eaten
each day, and the quantity. Such a list serves several purposes. It can
be checked against the essential foods to make sure there are no
omissions. It will help the doctor in adjusting a diet to slower or
faster weight loss, as the need may be. It is useful as a reminder of
slips and indiscretions in eating or drinking which must be checked. It
helps to keep a person convinced about the number of calories he is
really taking in.
_Special Problems_
On a reducing diet many people find themselves eating more vegetables,
raw fruits, and salads than they did before. Most of them benefit from
the change. However, anyone who has previously had signs of ulcers,
colitis, or other digestive disturbances should tell his physician. A
person susceptible to such conditions may need to use raw fruits and
vegetables sparingly, substituting fruits stewed without sugar, or
perhaps using pureed vegetables.
Constipation sometimes occurs when eating habits are changed suddenly.
It can often be corrected by drinking more water and by using green,
leafy vegetables more generously. The substitution of stewed, dried
fruits for some fresh fruits may also help. The amount must be watched,
because dried fruits are richer in calories than fresh fruits. They are
often eaten in greater quantity and cooked with sugar.
People who are on a diet and who eat in restaurants a great deal have a
problem. Unless their budget runs to a daily steak diet, a good
cafeteria is often a better choice than other types of restaurants. The
foods are usually plainly cooked, without much fat, and can be chosen
individually. The chief problem is to develop the habit of passing by
all the display of foods which must not be eaten. The temptation to add
something extra is sometimes greater than it is at home.
If lunch is the only meal which must be eaten out, and there is no
suitable eating place available, the problem may be solved by taking
lunch from home. Some suggestions for a day’s menus, including
low-calorie lunches which can be carried to work or school, are given on
the opposite page.
PACKED LUNCH
for 1200 Calorie Diet
BREAKFAST
½ cup fruit
1 egg
1 slice toast
1 teaspoon butter
1 glass milk
Clear coffee or tea
LUNCH
Sandwich:
1 slice bread
1 teaspoon butter
1 ounce lean meat
1 hard cooked egg
wedge of raw cabbage
whole raw carrot
fresh fruit
1 glass milk
LUNCH
Sandwich:
2 _thin_ slices bread
1 ounce lean meat
1 hard cooked egg
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
lettuce
2 stalks celery
1 small cucumber
fresh fruit
1 glass milk
LUNCH
Sandwich:
2 _thin_ slices bread
2 ounces chicken or meat
chopped and mixed with
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped celery and
a little chopped onion
large fresh tomato
½ green pepper
fruit
1 glass skim milk
DINNER
3 ounces meat, fish, or poultry
½ cup vegetables from Group I and
Group II
1 glass skim milk
½ cup fruit—fresh, or cooked or
canned without sugar
UNDERWEIGHT AND ITS DANGERS
Anyone 20 percent or more below his best weight is considered
underweight. Definite underweight is not desirable in young people who
are still growing. It may be a symptom of disease. The glandular
disorders so often erroneously blamed for overweight are much more
likely to show themselves in loss of weight or inability to gain. Even
when there is nothing wrong, people whose weight is too far below normal
are more likely to suffer from fatigue and poor physical endurance.
Resistance to infection is often lowered. Tuberculosis strikes more
often among adolescents and young people who are underweight than it
does among those whose weight is closer to what it should be.
_What Causes Underweight?_
Certain diseases and glandular disorders can cause underweight. In
healthy people, however, underweight comes from eating too little, from
poor eating habits, from over-activity or too little rest, and from
worry or prolonged tension.
Many people eat too little for much the same reasons which make others
eat too much. Habit frequently plays a part. Meals are irregular in some
families, sometimes poorly prepared, and eating is considered the least
important of the day’s activities. It is not surprising if the children
from such families grow up with an indifferent attitude toward food.
Emotions may also play a part. The feeling of being unloved,
dissatisfaction with personal relationships, discontent over job, money,
or social restrictions, and other reasons of this kind cause some people
to react with indifference to eating just as they cause others to
overeat. Keen rivalry, a wish to take part in everything, or too great
an absorption in school or social activities sometimes cause
over-activity and underweight among adolescents.
_How to Gain Weight_
As in overweight, the first step is to see a physician and have a
thorough physical examination. It is important to find and correct
anything which may be wrong. Efforts to gain may be useless unless this
is done.
The same principles apply to gaining weight as to losing it, but in
reverse. Underweight people must take in _more_ calories than they use,
so that there will be some left over to store as fat.
Will power can be as great a factor in gaining weight successfully as it
is in losing, particularly for people who do not like many of the
essential foods. They must learn to say “yes” to enough of the right
foods, regardless of their wishes, just as firmly as their fat friends
need to say “no” to forbidden extras.
As in overweight, it is important first to include the essential foods
in the day’s meals. These foods are necessary for maximum health,
whether a person’s weight is too high, too low, or just right. Some
underweight individuals whose food choices have been poor may find that
they are able to gain merely by making sure that they include these
foods in their diet. Others need to study ways to add extra calories.
_Adding Extra Calories_
The simplest way is to eat more at each meal—extra bread and butter, and
second helpings of everything.
Often, however, underweight people seem to have a small stomach
capacity. Therefore, additions of high-calorie foods which add little or
no bulk are probably easier to take at first than trying to eat larger
quantities. Such additions as cream on cereals and in beverages; extra
eggs in puddings, salad dressings, and drinks; and butter or other fat
used generously in salad dressings, cooking and seasoning should add
enough calories to enable most people to gain weight. Also, provided
they are added to regular meals and not used to replace them, the
high-calorie foods listed on page 14 should be used freely by anyone
trying to gain weight. If they do not interfere with eating enough at
regular meals, between-meal snacks also help. So do extra milk and
something to eat before going to bed.
_Saving Energy_
The body uses fewer calories at rest than when active, and least of all
during sleep. Therefore, any extra sleep or rest which an underweight
person gets will help him to gain. Whatever energy can be saved during
waking hours by riding instead of walking, sitting instead of standing,
and relaxing as often as possible will add to the calories saved.
A healthy person who decides to gain weight, and who sticks to his
program of taking in more calories than he needs, and of spending as few
as possible in needless physical activity, can be sure that sooner or
later his efforts will meet with success.
CALORIE TABLES
FOOD MEASURES[4] CALORIES
Almonds 12-15 100
Apple butter 1 tablespoon 40
Apples, baked 1 large and 2 tablespoons sugar 200
fresh 1 large 100
Applesauce, sweetened ½ cup 100
Apricots,
canned in sirup 3 large halves and 2 tablespoons juice 100
dried 10 halves 100
Asparagus, fresh or 5 stalks 5 inches long 15
canned
Avocado ½ pear 4 inches long 265
Bacon 2-3 long slices cooked 100
Bacon fat 1 tablespoon 100
Banana 1 medium 6 inches long 100
Beans,
canned with pork ½ cup 130
dried ½ cup cooked 135
lima, fresh or canned ½ cup 100
snap, fresh or canned ½ cup 25
Beef
corned 1 slice 4 inches by 1½ by 1 100
dried 2 thin slices 4 by 5 inches 50
hamburg steak 1 patty (4 to 5 per pound) 150
round, lean 1 medium slice (2 ounces) 100
sirloin, lean 1 average slice (3 ounces) 150
tongue 2 slices 3 inches by 2 by ⅛ 50
Beet greens ½ cup cooked 30
Beets, fresh or canned 2 beets 2 inches in diameter 50
Biscuits, baking powder 2 small 100
Blackberries, fresh 1 cup 100
Blueberries, fresh 1 cup 90
Bologna 1 slice 2 inches by ½ thick 100
Breads
Boston brown 1 slice 3 inches in diameter, ¾ thick 90
corn (1 egg) 1 2-inch square 120
cracked wheat 1 slice average 80
dark rye 1 slice ½ inch thick 70
light rye 1 slice ½ inch thick 75
white, enriched 1 slice average 75
white, enriched 1 slice thin 55
whole wheat, 60% 1 slice average 70
whole wheat, 100% 1 slice average 75
Broccoli 3 stalks 5½ inches long 100
Brownies 1 piece 2 inches by 2 by ¾ 140
Brussels sprouts 6 sprouts ½ inch in diameter 50
Butter 1 tablespoon 95
Cabbage, cooked ½ cup 40
raw 1 cup 25
Cake
angel ¹/₁₀ of a large cake 155
chocolate or vanilla, 1 piece 2 inches by 2 by 1 100
no icing
chocolate or vanilla, 1 piece 2 inches by 1½ by 1 100
with icing
cup cake with 1 medium 250
chocolate icing
Cantaloupe ½ of a 5½-inch melon 50
Carrots 1 carrot 4 inches long 25
Cashew nuts 4-5 100
Cauliflower ¼ of a head 4½ inches in diameter 25
Caviar 1 tablespoon 25
Celery 2 stalks 15
Cheese
American cheddar 1 cube 1⅛ inches square or three 110
tablespoons grated
cottage 5 tablespoons 100
cream 2 tablespoons 100
Cherries, sweet 15 large 75
Chicken,
broiled ½ medium broiler 100
roast 1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼ 100
Chinese cabbage 1 cup raw 20
Chocolate
almond bar 1 bar 5-cent size 200
fudge 1 piece 1 inch square by ¾ thick 100
malted milk fountain size 460
mints 1 mint 1½ inches in diameter 100
plain bar 1 bar 5-cent size 240
sirup ¼ cup 195
unsweetened 1 square 162
Cider, sweet 1 cup 114
Clams 6 round 100
Cocoa, half milk, half 1 cup 150
water
Cocoanut 3 tablespoons dry 100
Cod liver oil 1 tablespoon 100
Cod steak 1 piece 3½ inches by 2 by 1 100
Cola soft drinks 6-ounce bottle 75
Collards ½ cup cooked 50
Cooking fats, vegetable 1 tablespoon 100
Corn ½ cup 50
Corn sirup 1 tablespoon 75
Cornflakes 1 cup 80
Cornmeal 1 tablespoon uncooked 35
Cornstarch pudding ½ cup 200
Crackers
graham 1 square 40
peanut butter-cheese 1 cracker 45
sandwich
round snack-type 1 cracker 2 inches in diameter 15
rye wafers 1 wafer 25
saltines 1 cracker 2 inches square 15
Cranberry sauce ¼ cup 100
Cream
light 2 tablespoons 65
heavy 2 tablespoons 120
whipped 3 tablespoons 100
Cream-puff shells 1 shell 85
Cucumber ½ medium 10
Custard, boiled or baked ½ cup 130
Dates 4 100
Egg 1 medium size 75
Eggplant 3 slices 4 inches in diameter ½-inch 50
thick
Endive average serving 10
Escarole average serving 10
Figs, dried 3 small 100
Flour, white or whole 1 tablespoon unsifted 35
grain
Frankfurter 1 sausage 100
Gelatin, fruit flavored
dry 3-ounce package 330
ready to serve ½ cup 85
Ginger ale 1 cup 85
Gingerbread, hot water 2-inch square 270
Grapefruit juice, 1 cup 100
unsweetened
Grape juice ½ cup 80
Grape nuts ¼ cup 100
Grapes,
American or Tokay 1 bunch—22 average 75
seedless 1 bunch—30 average 75
Griddle cakes 1 cake 4 inches in diameter 75
Halibut 1 piece 3 inches by 1⅜ by 1 100
Ham, lean 1 slice 4¼ inches by 4 by ½ 265
Hard sauce 1 tablespoon 100
Hickory nuts 12-15 100
Hominy grits ¾ cup cooked 100
Honey 1 tablespoon 100
Ice cream ½ cup 200
Ice cream soda fountain size 325
Jellies and jams 1 rounded tablespoon 100
Kale ½ cup 50
Lamb, roast 1 slice 3½ inches by 4½ by ⅛ 100
Lard 1 tablespoon 100
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon 5
Lettuce 2 large leaves 5
Liver 1 slice 3 inches by 3 by ½ 100
Liverwurst 1 slice 3¼ inches by ½ thick 100
Lobster meat 1 cup 150
Macaroni ¾ cup cooked 100
Maple sirup 1 tablespoon 70
Margarine 1 tablespoon 100
Marshmallows 1 20
Milk
buttermilk 1 cup 85
condensed 1½ tablespoons 100
evaporated ½ cup (1 cup diluted) 160
skim milk, dried 2½ tablespoons 100
skim milk, fresh 1 cup 85
whole milk 1 cup 168
yogurt, plain 1 cup 160
Mints, cream ½ inch cube 5
Molasses 1 tablespoon 70
Muffins
bran 1 medium 90
1 egg 1 medium 130
Mushrooms 10 large 10
Mustard greens ½ cup cooked 31
Noodles ¾ cup cooked 100
Oatmeal ¾ cup cooked 100
Oil (corn, cottonseed, 1 tablespoon 100
olive, and peanut)
Okra 10-15 pods 50
Olives
green 6 medium 50
ripe 4-5 medium 50
Onions 3-4 medium 100
Orange 1 medium 80
juice 1 cup 125
Oysters 5 medium 100
Parsnips 1 parsnip 7 inches long 100
Peaches
canned in sirup 2 large halves and 3 tablespoons juice 100
dried 4 medium halves 100
fresh 1 medium 50
Peanut butter 1 tablespoon 100
Peanuts 10 50
Pears
canned in sirup 3 halves and 3 tablespoons juice 100
fresh 1 medium 50
Peas
canned ½ cup 65
fresh, shelled ¾ cup 100
Pecans 6 100
Pepper, green 1 medium 20
Pickles, cucumber
sour and dill 10 slices 2 inches in diameter 10
sweet 1 small 10
Pies (sectors from 9-inch pies)
apple 3-inch sector 200
lemon meringue 3-inch sector 300
mincemeat 3-inch sector 300
pumpkin 3-inch sector 250
Pineapple
canned, unsweetened 1 slice ½ inch thick and 1 tablespoon 50
juice
fresh 1 slice ¾ inch thick 50
juice, unsweetened 1 cup 135
Plums
canned 2 medium and 1 tablespoon juice 50
fresh 2 medium 50
Popcorn 1½ cups popped 100
Popovers 1 popover 100
Pork chop, lean 1 medium 200
Potato chips 8-10 large 100
Potato salad with ½ cup 200
mayonnaise
Potatoes
mashed ½ cup 100
sweet ½ medium 100
white 1 medium 100
Prune juice ½ cup 100
Prunes, dried 4 medium 100
Pumpkin ½ cup 50
Radishes 5 10
Raisins ¼ cup 90
Raspberries, fresh 1 cup 90
Rhubarb, stewed and ½ cup 100
sweetened
Rice ¾ cup cooked 100
Roll, Parker House 1 medium 100
Rutabagas ½ cup 30
Salad dressing
boiled 1 tablespoon 25
French 1 tablespoon 90
mayonnaise 1 tablespoon 100
Salmon, canned ½ cup 100
Sardines, drained 5 fish 3 inches long 100
Sauerkraut ½ cup 15
Sherbet ½ cup 120
Soup, condensed 11-ounce can
Bouillon 25
Mushroom 360
Noodle 290
Tomato 230
Vegetable 200
Spaghetti ¾ cup cooked 100
Spinach ½ cup cooked 20
Squash
summer ½ cup cooked 20
winter ½ cup cooked 50
Strawberries, fresh 1 cup 90
Sugar
brown 1 tablespoon 35
granulated 1 tablespoon 50
powdered 1 tablespoon 40
Sweetbreads 1 pair medium-sized 240
Swiss chard ½ cup leaves and stems 30
Tangerines 1 medium 60
Tapioca, uncooked 1 tablespoon 50
Tomato juice 1 cup 60
Tomatoes, canned ½ cup 25
fresh 1 medium 30
Tuna fish, canned ¼ cup drained 100
Turkey, lean 1 slice 4 inches by 2½ by ¼ 100
Turnip 1 turnip 1¾ inches in diameter 25
Turnip greens ½ cup cooked 30
Veal, roast 1 slice 3 inches by 3¾ by ½ 120
Waffles 1 waffle 6 inches in diameter 250
Walnuts 8 100
Watermelon 1 slice 6 inches in diameter 1½ 190
inches thick
Wheat
flakes ¾ cup 100
germ 1 tablespoon 25
shredded 1 biscuit 100
_Alcoholic Beverages_
Beer 8 ounces 120
Gin 1½ ounces 120
Rum 1½ ounces 150
Whiskey 1½ ounces 150
Wines
champagne 4 ounces 120
port 1 ounce 53
sherry 1 ounce 38
table, red or white 4 ounces 89-95
FOOTNOTES
[1]_These tables are based on numerous Medico-Actuarial studies of
hundreds of thousands of insured men and women._
[2]A calorie is a measure of the amount of heat (energy) which the body
can get from a given amount of food.
[3]_See page 18 for list of Group I and II vegetables, and for
lower-calorie fruits._
[4]_1 cup equals 8 ounces. 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. 4 tablespoons
equal ¼ cup._
Transcriber’s Notes
—Silently corrected a few typos.
—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.
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