The body is like a bank. Pay into it so many calories per day by means of eating and you will establish a credit. Withdraw a certain number of calories a day by using up energy and you will balance the books at the end of the day. If you pay in more than you take out, your account will grow and you will gain weight. If you take out more than you put in, your account will diminish, and you will lose weight.

There are two ways of making your account smaller. You may put in less calories by eating less, or you may take out more by using up more energy - in other words, by exercise. Don't be tempted by cutting out all foods said to be fattening, such as fats and starches, for if you do there is every likelihood that you will make yourself ill, as serious diseases can be caused by vitamin deficiency. To give one or two examples of this, Vitamin A is present in milk, butter, cream, egg yolk, cheese, fat, meat and cod liver oil. It promotes growth and helps ward off infection and particularly skin diseases. Vitamin B is present in potatoes, milk, eggs, and cereals, and lack of it causes nervous disorders and stomach trouble.

By cutting out the so called fattening foods you are cutting down on your supplies of those two essential vitamins. The other way of slimming is to eat normally and to exercise regularly. This will balance the books favorably for you and yet will ensure that you get all the vitamins you need. But of course, there is the fact that many over weight people do carry out some form of exercise. 'I walk for miles', they will tell you, 'yet it does not have the least effect on me'. Not all exercise is equally beneficial. In fact, some forms of exercise may be positively harmful by sapping vitality while giving little positive value in return.

Exercise must get to the parts that need slimming. If your waist line is too thick, it is the waist line that must be exercised. If your hips and posterior bulge in all directions, you must get at those parts with your exercising. Free exercise is good, particularly for men who are out of condition, but its results is slow in coming, and long before a really noticeable effect is achieved, the results stop altogether. The only really fast and efficient form of exercise is with added resistance in the form of weights and cables.

For the next 8 weeks watch your food. Make sure you get some of each of the seven groups every day and follow out these easy exercises.

Group 1: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, peas, etc.

Group 2: Green vegetables: lettuce, watercress, yellow vegetables, carrots, etc.

Group 3: Fresh citrus fruit: oranges, grapefruit, etc.

Group 4: Apples, pears, bananas, and other fruit.

Group 5: Starches: bread, flour, cereals.

Group 6: Milk and milk products: cheese, etc.

Group 7: Butter and other fats.

Free Exercise Chart: For those who want to Slim

1. Leg Raise (20 reps): Take the movement only to the position at which the legs are at right angles to the body.

2. Leg Spread (20 reps): Lying on back, raise legs until they are at right angles to body. This is the commencing position. Open the legs and spread them to sides as far as possible. Return to centre and repeat.

3. Leg Thrust (20 reps each way): Lie on back and draw knees up to chest. Keeping heels a few inches above floor, straighten the legs vigorously.

4. Side Bend (20 reps each way): Stand upright, legs shoulder width apart. Bend trunk to each side as far as possible.

5. Trunk Twist (till tired): Stand upright, legs shoulder width apart. Twist trunk to left as far as possible. Repeat for right side.

6. Leg Swinging: Stand on toes of right foot with tips of right fingers against wall to help maintain balance. Swing left leg forward and backwards vigorously and rhythmically, keeping knee straight. Repeat till tired, then repeat with right leg.

The above short schedule of free exercises should be followed every morning.