Let's take a look at what fashion magazines were saying about weight gain 60 years ago - the following article is from the 1961 magazine "Silhouette" and was published under the title "The Gaining of Weight".
The editorial office receives many letters from our readers who have been sent our models under the title "for the full figure". In these letters, there is much concern about stamping and the recurring question: what to do? If the bloating is morbid, only a doctor can help, because there are many different causes of morbid weight gain. But surprisingly, many people do not even think that the most common cause of obesity is overeating. How to prevent excessive weight gain is a topic we asked E. Vagas, Pharmacist Candidate, Head of the Biochemistry Sector of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine of the USSR MTA.
All manufacturing sectors in our country are mechanising and automating work processes. Hard, energy-intensive physical work is disappearing, increasingly replaced by mental work. There is a steady increase in the so-called. "The number of sedentary workers is increasing. On the other hand, we are producing food lawfully and at an ever-increasing rate. In the near future, all our requirements will be met in this area. However, the full satisfaction of all the organism's needs must not lead to an excess of food.
Overeating on the one hand and a lack of physical activity on the other contribute to weight gain Sometimes excess weight is of pathological origin (disorders of the endocrine glands or the central nervous system, etc.). Women often gain weight after childbirth or during the menopause. The treatment of these conditions falls within the competence of the doctor. However, in most cases (90-95% cases), the cause of the spotting is overeating. Over-eating can lead to the development of a disease - obesity.
Sprouting usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 40, as the human metabolism decreases by 7-8% every decade after the age of 25. After the age of 30, people often give up sport. Morning and productive exercise and being outdoors are considered a waste of time. It is sometimes even thought that stunting is not a vice but a sign of good health and respectability.
The "fruits" of such an attitude are not long in coming. As early as the 40s and 50s, the body begins to show signs of disturbances (shortness of breath, palpitations, increased heart rate, metabolic disturbances, etc.) that prompt people to seek medical help. The number of people who damage their health and shorten their life expectancy by overeating is on the increase. Research carried out by scientists in the German Democratic Republic concluded that 'one in three people in Germany eats themselves sick'. We too have a high incidence of overeating. For example, our sanatoria sometimes average 4 600 calories a day, while we consider the energy requirement of astronauts during space flight to be 2 700 calories. It is necessary for thin people in sanatoriums to regain their normal weight. However, it is not right for people who are 10-30 kg over normal weight to gain another 3-4 kg while in a sanatorium or rest home. It is important to get your bearings on these issues, because it is not just a question of being 'fit', but of health first and foremost.
So what is a person's normal weight? The normal weight of a person in kilograms is found by subtracting 100 from the height in centimetres (the so-called Broca's formula). This calculation is well suited to a person of 165 cm in height, whose normal weight is therefore 65 kg. In reality, people of shorter stature are somewhat heavier, while people of taller stature are somewhat lighter than the weight found by this calculation. Tables are used to more accurately determine normal weight, taking into account not only height but also sex, age and build. A weight variation of 4 kg below or above the ideal average weight is also considered normal. However, deviations from this are called 'leanness' or 'obesity'.
Keeping off the stubbornness or losing weight first requires self-discipline, but it also requires some knowledge. Not all foods are equally 'dangerous' for stunting. For example, 11 g lard, 13 g butter, 40 g bread, 80 g beef, 100 g potatoes, 150 g milk, 150 g cod, 170 g apples, 400 g cabbage and 1200 g cucumbers are all of equal nutritional value per 100 calories. Eating vegetables or fruit and protein-rich (but fatty) fish and meat does not easily raise body weight. On the other hand, fatty meats (pork bacon, etc.) or carbohydrate-rich foods (bread, pastries, porridges, etc.) are easily depleted. The consumption of sugar and sweets (sweets, chocolate, biscuits, etc.) encourages the formation of deposits. This is why people with high blood sugar levels should limit their intake of these foods. For example, no more than 20 g of butter and 50 g of sugar per day are recommended. However, at least 15 to 20g of vegetable oil, which contains unsaturated fatty acids (vitamin F), should be included in the daily diet. Dieters should also limit their water intake (no more than 0.8-1.2 litres per day). Restricting fat and carbohydrate (starch and sugar) intake will not harm a sedentary lifestyle, but will help the body to slowly use up excess fat stores. In addition, starches and sugars produce fat, while fats and proteins produce sugars (glycogen). It is also possible to convert proteins into fat.
Protein intake should not be restricted (100-150g per day) because protein increases the body's metabolism and is not substitutable for any other nutrient. For this reason, the diet should include plenty of fatty meats, fish, cheese, curd, etc., in the diet. The diet must also be rich in vitamins and minerals, as these nutrients cannot be substituted by others. Vegetables and root vegetables are of great importance as a source of vitamins and minerals. These foods are low in table salt (sodium) and relatively rich in potassium. Potassium and sodium organise the body's water metabolism: sodium stores water in the tissues, while potassium helps to transport it out of the body. Thus, potassium-rich vegetables and fruits help the body get rid of excess water.
Research in recent years shows that protein, vitamin and phosphorus requirements are higher for intense mental work than for physical work. Thus, sedentary people need to consume less fat- and carbohydrate-rich foods and more protein-, vitamin- and phosphorus-rich foods.
The only way to successfully combat stunting is to limit overeating and increase the body's energy expenditure with the help of more intense exercise. Here, self-discipline is more important than medicine. Control your weight, because stunting means premature ageing.