FAT MEN DIE YOUNG

Evening Star, Issue 17079, 25 June 1919, Page 3

FAT MEN DIE YOUNG

An American medical export, Dr E. L. Fish, writes ;Tho fat man is usually considered a subject of mirth among the non-thinking portion of the public, and as for the fat woman, her efforts to acquire symmetry of form or to simulate 'the same by the selection of garments tending to induce an Illusion in this regard are usually met by the smothered laughter of her friends. 1 his is because most people do not realise that the superfluous weight which sometimes appears to make its nosaessor rather more comfortable than the rest of humanity, acting as a sort of buffer between him and the rubs and knocks of the world, probably will help to shorten the life of the person carrying it about-. The presence of all this flesh indicates not a state of comfortabla woll-boing, as is some times thought, but rather a degenerate condition of the bodv. which should bo remedied if the individual desires to attain a found ohi age. It may be truly said that flesh rather than wrinkles is a hall mark of ago. The slender, erect, alert, and well-poised figure conveys the general suggestion of youth and activity, even though the face be wrinkled. As people grow older over-weight _ impairs the vitality more than under-weight. Light weight ie an advantage after maturity unless it indicates the presence of some form of disease or malnutrition. In earlv life the risk of over-nutrition should be taken, but after 30 watch your weight and keep it -it the average for 30. Among middle-aged and elderly people there is approximately 1 per cent, higher death rats for every pound of overweight. '