Random reminder

Press, 30 December 1985, Page 18

Random reminder

Middle-age shrinkage

It is a well-known fact that the behaviour of one person in a group influences the behaviour of the others. Let one person start going to art galleries, and soon the others are rushing out to art galleries too. Let one come down with mumps or measles, and the others will almost certainly do the same. Mrs X understood this. When she put herself on a diet, she watched her teenage daughters anxiously. Excessive dieting in young women can be dangerous, but no, they went on eating as onmiverously and as often as before. She relaxed. She shouldn’t have. It was several weeks before she realised that her husband no longer had dessert unless she dished it and put it in front of him. Surely, a week or two before, she only had to say, “There’s fruit in the fridge and ice-cream in the freezer.” and he would help himself? Before she could do any more than begin to worry, her sister became ill and she spent a week with her, helping with her young family. When she returned, the freezer and the cupboards were almost empty, and her teenages handed her a shopping list they had tlioughtfullly written. “I’m surprised they didn’t have take-

aways every night,” she remarked to her husband. “It must have been nice for you, to have the girls do the cooking. Did they try out anything new?” he looked baffled. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I had cheese on toast.... I was going to have plums one night, but I couldn’t find the can-opener.” She looked at his belt Yes, taken in another notch. She said no more, but went to see her G.P. the next day. Something would have to be done. She described the symptoms, and watched the doctor’s face for a clue to the seriousness of it To her surprise he smiled. “Anorexica lethargica,” he said. “Common in men of that age. Nothing to worry about” “I don’t understand,” she said feebly. “Ano what did you say?” He translated it into English. “A lack of appetite caused by laziness,” and then, seeing that she didn’t like the translation, “He’s used to you doing the cooking. He’s simply got out of the habit of doing anything about preparing food. If you had been away for longer, hunger would have made him start cooking for himself..... And remember, Mrs X, its healthier than middle-age spread.”