While there might be doubt as to the shortening of life by such factors as smoking, tobacco, alcohol and exercise, there is unanimous agreement of all authorities that overweight has a decided effect on decreasing the span of life. Statistics overwhelmingly show that overweight not only results in increased death rate but is also responsible for the earlier development of cardiovascular-renal diseases, diabetes and even cancer. It is, therefore, surprising that with this knowledge the members of the medical profession have been so lightly interested in a concerted and sincere effort to treat obesity or to prevent its occurrence. Heroic measures which involve tremendous expense, labor and time have been expended in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, nutritional disturbances and cancer, and great publicity has been given to such efforts. The common cold also has received widespread attention in newspapers, magazines and medical publications because of the economic