View report page

71
the overweight met with in children and often called "puppy" fat,
persists into adolescence and adulthood with very damaging
consequences.
Statistics show that, for these individuals, life expectancy is
shortened not only by heart disabilities but also by a number of
other degenerative conditions such as liver, kidney and gallbladder
diseases, diabetes, etc., which, in many instances, are accompanied
by the painful and crippling effects of arthritis. Furthermore, apart
from the rise in incidence rates of hernias, varicose veins, blood
pressure and other circulatory disorders, treatment of respiratory
diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema is rendered less
effective and accidents and operative risks are correspondingly
greater.
It has been estimated that more than 6% of men and over 11%
of women are more than 20% overweight.
Overweight women find more difficulty in conceiving and, even
when they do conceive, they frequently run into pregnancy
troubles. With the average woman there is a weight gain during
pregnancy of approximately 91bs. (excluding the baby and the
products of conception) which consists mainly of additional food
stores laid down for motherhood and which remains after the baby
is born. Often no efforts are made to shed this extra weight which
probably accounts for much of the obesity found in middle-aged
women.
In men, the incidence of obesity and its disabilities appear to
have risen proportionally with the increase in popularity and
availability of the motor car.
Ordinary, everyday overweight can be narrowed down to two
main causes—insufficient physical exercise and dietetically bad
family eating patterns handed down from generation to generation.
Inadequate food intake in children became rare after the introduction
of the "school dinner" and, at inspections, the classification
of "unsatisfactory physical condition" rather unusual. Contrariwise,
obesity seems to be the common nutritional problem at
the present time. Unappetising school meals have led, in some
instances, to the bringing of sandwiches which predisposes to the
consumption of extra carbohydrates as does the modern fashion in
schoolchildren for sweetened fruit drinks.
It has been found that, although, almost all obese boys and girls
are less active than normal, surprisingly, they often eat less than
others. These types should be encouraged to walk to school rather
than travel by bus or car and there should be more school group
activities. Provided it is moderate and regular, exercise has been
shown not to increase appetite and although there may well be a