Nutrition: The Sanctuary of Adiposity

"Imprisoned in every fat man, a thin one is wildly signaling to be let out." So wrote English Literary Critic Cyril Connolly, and many psychiatrists have been inclined to agree. What happens when a diet sets the thin man free? Does he enjoy his liberty? Not necessarily, reports Northwestern University Psychiatrist Howard D. Kurland.

At an American Medical Association meeting, Dr. Kurland offered as a prime example the case of a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman, aged 20, who wanted to re-enlist after two years of duty. To meet the Navy's physical requirements, he had to drop 50 lbs., and while on a rigorous diet in the metabolic ward of the Naval Hospital in Oakland he lost weight fast. No sooner was he back on duty than he discovered that his newfound slimness was a surprising disadvantage. He was expected to do chores from which he had formerly been excused. His wife expected him to be more active both generally and sexually.

The corpsman endured these hardships for little more than a week. Then back he went to overeating. He gained a pound a day for two months and retreated to the sanctuary of adiposity, where less was expected of him and he no longer felt inadequate. In other cases, said Dr. Kurland, drastic reducing has also led to depression rather than emotional relief. For many of the extremely obese, he suggested, their very weight is a source of emotional stability.