Time to Take Out the Scales!

The average American gains 5 lb in weight between Thanksgiving and New Year, I seem to remember. It certainly applies to me, I’m afraid. And it would be worse if I hadn’t showed some restraint at the table. . . Maybe it’s partly because we only encounter the scales in our bathroom, and it’s remarkably easy to say “I’ll weigh myself tomorrow”, which, of course, seldom comes until next week.

It’s interesting to learn that in the 1800s, scales were features of interest at parties and social gatherings. People would weight themselves before and after a holiday dinner, to see how much they had put on. Parlor scales were styled to fit with the prevailing décor of the times – elaborate wood with inlays and semi-precious stones.

At some point in time, a sense of shame in being overweight began to creep in. In my youth, there were penny-in-the-slot weighing machines at fairgrounds and on summer promenades. Some even claimed “I speak your weight”. But even then, there were jokes – e.g. “Only one person at a time, please!” – that foreshadowed the embarrassment of excess poundage.

Scales have now disappeared from the living areas of the house, but their importance as an instrument of good health has soared. There are advantages to weighing yourself daily – you are more likely to succeed in disciplined attempts to lose weight than if you only weigh yourself once a week (or month). Good luck in your efforts to lose that 5 lb, at least before next Thanksgiving.