Calling All Men

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Your wife and kids love you. You have a job you like with enough money coming in. You're active in your community, you have a good, solid group of buddies and once or twice a year you and the family take nice vacations. Things are, well . . . just about perfect.

Now, if you could only lose that beer belly!

If, over the years, you've seen your body slowly get out of shape, you're certainly not alone. According to national statistics, 29.6 percent of American men 18 years old and over are considered clinically obese--that is, more than 20 percent above their desirable weight. And millions more, while not quite that overweight, are still heavier than they'd like to be.

For all the talk on TV and in magazines about women's weight woes, there are actually more obese men in the United States than women. Not only is this a problem from an appearance standpoint but it creates a serious health hazard as well. It is now estimated that one out of five men will have a heart attack by age 60, and their excess pounds, poor eating habits and lack of exercise are all contributing factors.

The type of man who typically finds himself overweight is middle-aged and of a higher-than-average socioeconomic status, according to clinical psychologist Morton H. Shaevitz, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Family and Work Relationships in La Jolla, California. President Bill Clinton is a prime example. "President Clinton is an overworked, overstressed, moderately overweight man who makes food choices destined to keep his weight right where it is," notes Dr. Shaevitz, author of Lean and Mean: The No Hassle, Life-Extending Weight Loss Program for Men. "He may jog, but it's usually to McDonald's for a cheeseburger."

But whether you're the chief executive living on Pennsylvania Avenue or a construction worker living in Altoona, Pennsylvania, overweight is a very real threat to both your looks and your life span. The reasons men have a hard time eating right and staying slim are many.

Ignorance Is Blubber

The biggest cause of male weight gain is lack of information. "Smart men are nutritionally ignorant," asserts Dr. Shaevitz. "They just don't know what's in the food they're eating and why it can be harmful."

For example, a chef's salad and a diet soda is many men's idea of a healthy lunch. But they couldn't be more wrong. A chef's salad is a 750- to 1,500-calorie, high-fat meal, usually containing cheese and luncheon meat--each approximately 100 calories per ounce and about 80 to 90 percent fat--all smothered in two or three ladles of dressing for an additional 250 to 750 calories. A man will wash the salad down with a diet drink and feel virtuous because the soda has no calories. But in fact he may have just consumed more than half his caloric and fat limit for the entire day.

The What-Me-Worry? Syndrome

Unlike a woman, who focuses much more on her weight and who can probably tell you how many calories she and everyone else at the table just consumed, a man tends not to think about these things very much at all.

This casual--and in some ways healthier--attitude about weight and overall body image is first developed when we're very young. "Differences in how men and women perceive their bodies start real early," says registered dietitian Linda H. Eck, an assistant professor in the psychology department of Memphis State University, who has researched gender and weight. "Studies have repeatedly found that women diet much more than men do and that their body images are poorer," she says. "When men are overweight, they usually think they look fine, and when women's weights are normal, they tend to think they're fat."

One such survey was conducted in 1986 in London, England, and involved 348 boys and girls ranging in age from 12 to 18. The researchers found that hang-ups about body size and shape made even the youngest girls in the group go on sometimes extreme diets and feel tremendous guilt about eating, whether or not they were even overweight, while the boys tended to be blissfully unconcerned about such matters.

It's a pattern, regrettably, that often lingers long into adulthood for women and may, in the most extreme cases, lead to such eating disorders as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Yet men's overly casual attitudes about their weight, coupled with the way their extra pounds tend to settle in their chest and stomach, can result in serious health problems of their own, including heart disease, stroke and adult-onset diabetes.

"The media constantly give women the message that they should not be overweight," notes Eck.

Being an overweight woman in the 1990s is a no-no, plain and simple. Roseanne Arnold and especially Elizabeth Taylor--who went on and humiliatingly off the diet wagon in full public view--remain the butt of perpetual jokes, though we're much kinder to less-than-svelte male stars such as John Goodman and Willard Scott.

As a result, the typical overweight man can usually get away with thinking of himself as "solid" or "husky" or "portly," none of which sounds nearly as bad as "fat."

Nutrition and the Nanny Fat parents, fat kid, right? That's all too frequently the case. And that's not too surprising, considering that a child shares both his parents' genes and their lifestyle. The big shockeroo is that a man's size can be affected by the baby-sitter he had when he was a kid. In a study conducted at Boston's New England Medical Centers, director of clinical nutrition William E. Dietz, M.D., found that a man with two thin parents had only a 14 percent likelihood of becoming obese at any point in his adult life. A man whose folks are overweight, on the other hand, had an 80 to 85 percent chance of following in their footsteps. Dr. Dietz also found that if a boy had thin parents but an overweight baby-sitter who took care of him for any substantial length of time, his chances of becoming overweight jumped to 65 percent. The moral of the story? Genetics play a part in determining a man's risk of developing a weight problem, but what he learns as a boy about food and eating are highly influential as well.

Real Men Don't Cook

The one who ruled the kitchen in the '50s--the woman--still does decades later. Sure, you'll see a male weekend pancake flipper or a summertime king of the barbecue grill, but the vast majority of meal planners and meal makers are women. And unless a wife is whipping up healthy, low-fat dishes for the family, a married man may not be eating the way he should. If he's single, he's even more likely to have poor eating habits.

A man who feels the pressure of work, family and other obligations may find himself grabbing coffee and doughnuts on the fly and a couple of slices of pizza instead of a healthier sit-down lunch. Or maybe he does sit down at noontime--to big, calorie-laden business lunches at fancy eateries, making it hard for him to stay trim. What's more, many men's jobs take them on the road, where fast food is the rule of the day. Being in the air isn't any better; airline food can be mediocre to bad, from both a taste and a caloric standpoint.

Equally unfortunate is the severe shortage of time for exercise in the harried man's schedule. Little wonder the waistband is starting to feel snug.

When the busy working guy finally does get a few minutes to himself, he often spends it in front of the TV set with a couple of beers, or after work with the guys, along with a bowlful of cashews and a few happy hour drinks.

Alcohol is one of the overweight man's greatest foes. Not only is it high in calories--around 100 to 150 per drink--but it also impairs judgment and weakens the resolve to do the right thing. So even if a man is planning to have a green salad with a touch of Italian dressing and broiled fish at the restaurant, a glass or two of wine or beer can lead to an oh-what-the-hell attitude: He lowers his guard and switches to the prime rib and a green salad drenched in blue-cheese dressing.

Moreover, alcohol in the system slows down the body's fat-busting process, so that whatever you do eat will be harder to burn off.

The Right Choices Eating on the run? Grabbing a quick snack? Just because you're moving fast is no excuse to drop your nutritional guard. Here's a few smart alternatives to all those high-calorie waist stealers. Instead of . . . Have . . . Half a pepperoni pizza 2 slices of regular pizza with a big green salad A bran or corn muffin A bagel or English muffin A handful of cashews 2 handfuls of popcorn Fast-food chicken nuggets A fast-food broiled chicken sandwich Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta with veggies in a light olive oil or tomato sauce 16 oz. of red meat 6 oz. of red meat (or better yet, turkey or fish) plus a large baked potato and steamed veggies

Real Men Don't Diet

For most men, diet is definitely a four-letter word. Going on a diet, whether that means toting up calories or grams of fat, weighing a fillet of sole on a food scale, or baring your soul in a weight-loss support group, is simply not considered a "guy" kind of thing to do.

Furthermore, "diet" invariably translates to "deprivation" in the male mind, and men generally do not take kindly to being told that they can't eat their usual favorites or hefty portions. So most overweight men would prefer to hang on to their extra pounds rather than do anything that seems as "unmasculine" (or that smacks of deprivation) as go on a diet.

Fortunately, there's also plenty of good news for the overweight man who finally decides to take the plunge and do something about his spare tire. Compared with women, guys have it made. Why? An overweight male can eat more food and still lose weight more quickly and easily than his female counterpart because a man:

* Is usually physically bigger.

* Has a higher percentage of muscle versus fat, which enables his body to burn more calories per pound of body weight.

* Will more often than not reach his goal weight . . . and stay there.

"Your Perfect Weight 52-Week Plan," on page 177, is designed to help everyone, female and male, achieve their weight-loss and fitness goals. However, overweight men--because their lifestyles and attitudes are often quite different from women's--can benefit from these additional tips from Dr. Shaevitz's Lean and Mean Program for Men.

DO learn a bit about nutrition. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your weight and your health. Bone up on the basics, such as what makes carbohydrates, proteins and fats different from one another, and a few examples of foods found in each category. Skimming this book is an excellent place to start.

DO recruit your family's help. If your wife is already on a diet plan and up until now she's been preparing separate (i.e., bigger, more-caloric) meals for you, ask her to begin serving you the same low-fat/low-calorie dishes she eats. She'll probably be thrilled to see you taking an interest in slimming down. Not surprisingly, it's been proven that men who follow their wife's lead in eating healthier meals have an easier time with their own weight loss. And if you can help with the cooking, so much the better--for your marriage and for your own education about nutrition.

What about the kids and their high-fat snacks you're trying so desperately to avoid? That's tougher, but a gentle request from you to not chomp on the Chee-tos in your presence just might do the trick. After all, your children will benefit by learning how to eat better. They'll want to see you slim and healthy, too.

DON'T let yourself feel deprived. One of the surest ways to lose your diet motivation is to put yourself on a weight-loss plan that makes you feel as though you're starving yourself or making some supreme dietary sacrifice. The reality is that to be successful in your weight-loss efforts, you can't continue to eat whatever and whenever you ate before--that's what got you overweight in the first place. But if you build into your weekly menu some of your favorites including, for instance, a small steak and dessert, you'll be far more likely to see your weight-loss program to completion and keep the weight off for good.

In addition, don't be fooled into thinking that losing weight necessarily means itsy-bitsy portions. With a few simple switches in what you're eating--from high-fat and sugar-packed items to healthier complex carbs (like potatoes and pasta) and low-fat protein sources (like shellfish and poultry) proteins--you can still eat hearty serving sizes that will leave you feeling satisfied.

DO go easy on the alcohol. No one's saying you have to lock up the liquor cabinet and throw away the key, but for the reasons previously stated it's a good idea to cut back on the alcohol as much as you can. Try drinking only half as much and half as often as you usually do. Swap regular beers for the light varieties. Switch from high-calorie mixed drinks to wine. Just making these few changes will produce a substantial calorie deficit, and you'll see the pleasant results on the bathroom scale.

DON'T let job obligations be an excuse to blow your diet. It's easy to say, "How can I possibly stay on a diet and go to all these conferences (translation: cheese Danish, bagels and cream cheese), cocktail parties (alcohol and hors d'oeuvres), business dinners (wine, steaks and rich desserts) and plane trips (nuts and high-calorie meals)?" Yet with a little forethought and planning, you can take care of your business and your body at the same time.

At breakfast conferences, for example, skip the sweet rolls and choose a bagel instead. At cocktail parties, work the room with a noncaloric drink in your hand, such as club soda with lime, and nibble on the crudités. At business meals, avoid alcohol and heavy desserts and focus on light salads (without creamy dressings); broiled or grilled fish, chicken or lean meats; and steamed or lightly sautéed veggies. For dessert, have sorbet or fresh fruit.

As for those notorious airline meals, which neither your waistline nor your taste buds will appreciate, special order a meal ahead of time (which will include mostly fruit or veggies and some protein, such as cheese) or bring your own healthy snack.

DO exercise regularly. Exercise is discussed at much greater length in "Exercise: Your Secret Weapon," on page 58. For now, just remember that sustained weight loss--for women and men--is virtually impossible without an ongoing exercise program, and that if you don't continue some regular aerobic workout (ideally supplemented with some resistance training), any weight you've lost will almost certainly return.

But start slow. Dr. Shaevitz has repeatedly found that out-of-shape men--unlike out-of-shape women--tend to plunge headfirst into a fitness program, attempting too much too soon. So before you do anything else, get your doctor's okay. Then, begin a brisk-walking program, starting with 20 to 25 minutes a day, three to five days a week. If 20 minutes is too much for you, start with less. The important point is to start. Eventually, you should increase your time until you're up to 45 minutes a day, about five days a week. You may also want to try slow jogging or a stationary bicycle.

Insist that you don't have time for exercise? Try what Dr. Shaevitz himself does: Over his home stationary bike he has a reading light and a magazine rack, with a telephone and a remote channel changer nearby. Nearly every morning he does 45 minutes on the bike while reading a couple of newsletters, watching a few minutes of the news on TV and checking in once or twice with his office by phone.

Another nice idea: family exercise time. Bike riding with your wife, playing basketball in the backyard with the kids or even taking a sports vacation--where you can all swim, horseback ride or rock climb together--will not only boost your own fitness level but will also reinforce your commitment to a healthier lifestyle for your family.