Too much weight can strain your heart, rob you of energy.
Dr. Arthur Master, in a study of a group of patients not suffering from heart disease, found that a significant loss of weight was followed by an average 35 per cent reduction in the work the heart has to do. The lesson to you is clear: Even though your heart is strong, overweight taxes it with work and strain beyond its normal capacity. A healthy heart is gradually weakened by the extra stress imposed on it by 20, 30 or 40 pounds of unnecessary fat. Your energy reserves are depleted; you feel tired too soon and too often, even when doing simple things like walking and swimming, things that the person of normal weight can handle with ease and pleasure. Don't let too much weight rob you of a strong heart and the vibrant energy that you need to enjoy a full, healthy life. Learn to count your calories and you can count on more years of healthy, happy living.
Most people today don't have heavy demands made on their physical energy. We must remember that in the past 50 years there has been a considerable reduction in energy expenditure, because of a more mechanized way of life. People today don't have to go out to the barn and hitch up a horse or team when they are ready to go somewhere. They merely step into their car, which is as close to the front door as they can manage it, and then drive to their destination, again parking as near the entrance as possible. The introduction of countless labor-saving devices in our home, factories, and offices has also robbed us of most of the physical exertion our grandparents knew. In fact, when it comes to conserving energy, we seem to have approached about as near as we can get to a vegetable existence. It was formerly believed that the average adult who engaged in moderate physical activity required from 2500 to 3500 calories a day. Figures published by the American Heart Association today place the figures much lower. One of the reasons overweight is a problem with so many persons is that it has a way of sneaking up on you. You may gain only two or three pounds a year and not notice it. But in 10 years, this means an excess of 20 or 30 pounds. For example, a pound of body weight equals about 3500 calories. Just one extra pat of butter each day (85 to 100 calories) will add eight to ten pounds a year to your weight! Similarly, a piece of pie (250 calories) eaten just once a week, will add over three pounds of body weight in a year's time.
Just what is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat and energy, created by the body "burning up" the food we eat. This calorie or measurement of heat unit is the basis for determining what our weight should be and what our diet should be. In determining how many calories you actually need, scientists use the term "basal caloric requirements" to indicate how many calories you need just to stay alive, keep your heart going, and your temperature normal. We need approximately a calorie each minute, simply to keep living. Even while you are asleep you "burn up" an average of 500 calories. Most men and women need from 1000 to 1500 calories as their basal caloric requirement. However, when you work or think you burn up additional calories. Here is a list of activities with the approximate number of calories that these cost you, as an adult:
How to determine the number of calories you need. To determine the number of calories you require each day from your food, it is necessary to make very exact mathematical calculations based on detailed knowledge of your metabolism, body frame, hereditary and constitutional factors, specific energy expenditure each day, climatic conditions, emotional state, digestive tract structure, physiology, and still other variable factors. Since this is an impossible or impractical method for those who want to reduce, I recommend for the average person the following simple "rule of thumb" method:
For: MARKED OVERWEIGHTS
A person who is markedly overweight is one who is 30 per cent or more above his normal weight. This means that if, for example, you weigh 180 lbs. but should, according to our table, weigh 135 lbs., then you are 45 lbs, overweight. In that case you should reduce your weight by using the 800 calorie diet menus shown in the center, green section of this book.
For: MODERATE OVERWEIGHTS
If you are moderately overweight (i.e. 15-30 per cent; you are, say, 20 to 45 lbs. over and weigh from 155 to 180 lbs. but should weigh 135 lbs.), use the diet menus for the 1000 calorie daily food intake shown in the green section in the middle of the book.
For: MILD OVERWEIGHTS
If you are only mildly overweight (5 to 15 per cent above your normal weight; let us say you are 7 to 20 lbs. over and weigh from 142 to 155 lbs., whereas you should weigh 135 lbs.) then follow the 1200 calorie diet described in the center, green section. After you have lost an average of 2 lbs. each week and have achieved your normal weight, you should then follow the low-fat maintenance diets shown in pages 71 - 88. These diets range from approximately 1500 calories to 2200 calories. They are recommended for the average individual who does light work with a moderate expenditure of calories in average daily activities such as housework, office work, light factory employment, sales work, driving of cars, or a moderate degree of walking.
Maintaining your proper weight by a regular calorie count. However, since individuals vary so widely, it is imperative that you watch your weight carefully by your household scale. If you find that you are gaining a little or a moderate amount of poundage (say 1 or 2 lbs. each week) then you must subtract 200 to 500 calories from your daily menus. You can then reduce a pound a week and stay on this "maintenance" diet to keep your weight on an even level. This may mean that your maintenance diets require only a daily food intake of 1200 or 1500 calories every day from then on. Perhaps the elimination of one or two slices of bread and jam, or cutting down on sugar, may be all that is necessary to take 200 or 300 calories off your daily menus. To eliminate the required 500 calories from your daily meals, it may be necessary to omit in addition some potatoes, or to avoid completely sugar and starch foods. In any case, the calorie counter in this chapter will guide you on which food items you should eliminate from your diet. Once you have decided to do so, it is simple to follow the menus. It does take a few minutes of your time to look at these calories, but you will be giving yourself a reward of years added to your life. That's the biggest health bargain in modern history!
Dr. Arthur Master, in a study of a group of patients not suffering from heart disease, found that a significant loss of weight was followed by an average 35 per cent reduction in the work the heart has to do. The lesson to you is clear: Even though your heart is strong, overweight taxes it with work and strain beyond its normal capacity. A healthy heart is gradually weakened by the extra stress imposed on it by 20, 30 or 40 pounds of unnecessary fat. Your energy reserves are depleted; you feel tired too soon and too often, even when doing simple things like walking and swimming, things that the person of normal weight can handle with ease and pleasure. Don't let too much weight rob you of a strong heart and the vibrant energy that you need to enjoy a full, healthy life. Learn to count your calories and you can count on more years of healthy, happy living.
Most people today don't have heavy demands made on their physical energy. We must remember that in the past 50 years there has been a considerable reduction in energy expenditure, because of a more mechanized way of life. People today don't have to go out to the barn and hitch up a horse or team when they are ready to go somewhere. They merely step into their car, which is as close to the front door as they can manage it, and then drive to their destination, again parking as near the entrance as possible. The introduction of countless labor-saving devices in our home, factories, and offices has also robbed us of most of the physical exertion our grandparents knew. In fact, when it comes to conserving energy, we seem to have approached about as near as we can get to a vegetable existence. It was formerly believed that the average adult who engaged in moderate physical activity required from 2500 to 3500 calories a day. Figures published by the American Heart Association today place the figures much lower. One of the reasons overweight is a problem with so many persons is that it has a way of sneaking up on you. You may gain only two or three pounds a year and not notice it. But in 10 years, this means an excess of 20 or 30 pounds. For example, a pound of body weight equals about 3500 calories. Just one extra pat of butter each day (85 to 100 calories) will add eight to ten pounds a year to your weight! Similarly, a piece of pie (250 calories) eaten just once a week, will add over three pounds of body weight in a year's time.
Just what is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat and energy, created by the body "burning up" the food we eat. This calorie or measurement of heat unit is the basis for determining what our weight should be and what our diet should be. In determining how many calories you actually need, scientists use the term "basal caloric requirements" to indicate how many calories you need just to stay alive, keep your heart going, and your temperature normal. We need approximately a calorie each minute, simply to keep living. Even while you are asleep you "burn up" an average of 500 calories. Most men and women need from 1000 to 1500 calories as their basal caloric requirement. However, when you work or think you burn up additional calories. Here is a list of activities with the approximate number of calories that these cost you, as an adult:
How to determine the number of calories you need. To determine the number of calories you require each day from your food, it is necessary to make very exact mathematical calculations based on detailed knowledge of your metabolism, body frame, hereditary and constitutional factors, specific energy expenditure each day, climatic conditions, emotional state, digestive tract structure, physiology, and still other variable factors. Since this is an impossible or impractical method for those who want to reduce, I recommend for the average person the following simple "rule of thumb" method:
For: MARKED OVERWEIGHTS
A person who is markedly overweight is one who is 30 per cent or more above his normal weight. This means that if, for example, you weigh 180 lbs. but should, according to our table, weigh 135 lbs., then you are 45 lbs, overweight. In that case you should reduce your weight by using the 800 calorie diet menus shown in the center, green section of this book.
For: MODERATE OVERWEIGHTS
If you are moderately overweight (i.e. 15-30 per cent; you are, say, 20 to 45 lbs. over and weigh from 155 to 180 lbs. but should weigh 135 lbs.), use the diet menus for the 1000 calorie daily food intake shown in the green section in the middle of the book.
For: MILD OVERWEIGHTS
If you are only mildly overweight (5 to 15 per cent above your normal weight; let us say you are 7 to 20 lbs. over and weigh from 142 to 155 lbs., whereas you should weigh 135 lbs.) then follow the 1200 calorie diet described in the center, green section. After you have lost an average of 2 lbs. each week and have achieved your normal weight, you should then follow the low-fat maintenance diets shown in pages 71 - 88. These diets range from approximately 1500 calories to 2200 calories. They are recommended for the average individual who does light work with a moderate expenditure of calories in average daily activities such as housework, office work, light factory employment, sales work, driving of cars, or a moderate degree of walking.
Maintaining your proper weight by a regular calorie count. However, since individuals vary so widely, it is imperative that you watch your weight carefully by your household scale. If you find that you are gaining a little or a moderate amount of poundage (say 1 or 2 lbs. each week) then you must subtract 200 to 500 calories from your daily menus. You can then reduce a pound a week and stay on this "maintenance" diet to keep your weight on an even level. This may mean that your maintenance diets require only a daily food intake of 1200 or 1500 calories every day from then on. Perhaps the elimination of one or two slices of bread and jam, or cutting down on sugar, may be all that is necessary to take 200 or 300 calories off your daily menus. To eliminate the required 500 calories from your daily meals, it may be necessary to omit in addition some potatoes, or to avoid completely sugar and starch foods. In any case, the calorie counter in this chapter will guide you on which food items you should eliminate from your diet. Once you have decided to do so, it is simple to follow the menus. It does take a few minutes of your time to look at these calories, but you will be giving yourself a reward of years added to your life. That's the biggest health bargain in modern history!
