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.