Now let us supposed you are about 30 pounds overweight. You know this is far more than you should be carrying, and you should do something about it. But what? First of all, try to find out why you weigh so much more than you should. Don’t be shocked to learn that some people are overweight because they are worried and frustrated. Maybe they feel somewhat neglected by other members of the family. To soothe their injured feelings they nibble a little here and there between meals. Some even get up for snacks during the night while the rest of the household are sleep. All this constant nibbling ads weight rapidly.

“But,” someone says, “I don’t eat as much as my sister. Just look at how thin she is.” Perhaps the thyroid has something to do with this, at least in some cases.

Just how many calories do you need per day? That depends on number of things, such as the kind of work you are doing, you age, and your body build, and how active you are. A hardworking carpenter mat\y require 5,000 calories a day. To keep going he must eat well. On the other hand, his boss who sits at a desk may only need 2,200 calories a day. His wife, who is busy around the house all day, May need 2,500 calories. But an office secretary may do well on 1,800 calories a day.

It all depends on how active we are. At 25 years of age we usually burn up our calories without any difficulty. At 35 the situation begins to change. We sits down more often and perhaps use labor-saving devices to spare us further exertion. This means we must gauge the amount of food according to the work we do.

One may gain weight because of water accumulating in the tissues under the skin. For instance, a failing heart may produce marked swelling in the legs and other parts of the body. So will certain kidney disease. Such people must avoid the excessive use of salt. But overeating is more likely to be the real problem.