European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 04, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The overseas bulge  service personnel fighting the Baule of the bulge overseas duty is spiced with tempi Savory dishes and enticing beverages served in cozy foreign jetting tend to break Down the Best intentions. Europe with its array of Fine foods and drinks is especially hazardous to the thou Sands who must count calories to keep their weight within military standards. U. Cot. James e. Johnson dietetic consultant for the army s european medical command Heidel Berg says the most persistent problem is creeping obesity. Duty in Germany where calorie Rich Beers and foods abound poses particular problems for the largest group of americans in a foreign Environ ment. There can be no doubt about the results of cast Hauf extravagances. Time and again troops counselled about their excess weight have revealed a taste for German Beer and Greasy food. The doable chins and Beer bellies Are there for All to see. Shelley Hancock Community dietician working out of the army s 5th general Hospital. Bad Cann Start. Germany reports that 90 per cent of the troops she counsels blame their weight problems on German environment. Most of those i be counselled enjoy German Beer wines and  she said. They eat the schnitzel and Pommel frit i Trench Fries. And they like the goodies from the of  Hancock has counselled single gis who have gained As much As 30 to 40 pounds in three months. In most cases drastic changes in eating habits and a decrease in physical activity have piled on the extra pounds. Isolated Sites seem in present special problems for singles whose appetite arc enlarged out of bore Dom we re dealing with different eating patterns in  Hancock said a lot of the people go out on the Economy and learn what eating and drinking opportunities Are available to  Cape. Kathleen Waddell. Chief clinical dietician. 97th general Hospital. Frankfurt is convinced that a lot of the people she counsels Are drinking More Beer in Germany than they Ever drank at Home. This is also True of wine she said. Three members of b Bury 3rd do list Ada Grossack Sunheim Germany minced no word sin putting the blame for obesity in their outfit on the Lack of physical activity and German Beer and food. Spec. 4 Edward Miller. 20. A former i High school football player from Tacoma. Wash., sought the help of a dietician after he piled in 20 pounds in a matter of  Fifoot. 210-Pounder when he enu red the army. Miller soon ballooned to 230 pounds weight he blames on diet and watchtower duty that puts a minimum demand on physical activity. I drink a lot of Beer. That probably is the main reason i m overweight Miller said. A is hard to Cut Down because so Many people around Here Are socializing. Just about every one 1 hang around with drinks  he estimated his Beer consumption at three to four liners a Day 1,300to 1,700calories which make up More than half of his caloric requirement. Spec. 4 Robert Hughes a buddy of Miller s is still within army weight standards but he too he gained a lot of weight in the German environment. I m trying to fight off the fat. Since october when i came Here i be gained 10 pounds Hughes said. He attributes the gain to ?. Combination of inactivity and a change in eating and drinking habits. I drink German Beer. And i like the wine. I m eating More and More on the Economy. I be tried the schnitzel and cordon Bleu and i like the Good German pastries and the  sgt. Gary Conyers. 23, unit clerk finds the Lack of recreation and the easy Access to food and drink on the German Economy As the main reasons for excess weight in the ranks. There really is nothing else to do but sit around and eat and  be said. I drank a lot of Beer and gained 12 pounds within two months. Beer really puts on weight particularly German Beer. When i started to gain i realized i had to do something about it. So i went to Robinson bar Racks Stuttgart and bought weights and a sweat suit. Now i work out at Home and keep the weight Down. But Many of the Guys Don t work out. We begot a lot of fat people  drastic changes in eating habits and a decrease in physical activity have piled on extra pounds. It. Col. John a. Eielson. Chief of general surgery at the 97th general said an increased consumption of Beer and such foods As schnitzel combined with a reduction of physical activity is almost certain to result in unneeded weight increases. While Beer and schnitzel pose problems in Germany the hazards of overeating and Over drinking vary from country u country. In Britain air Force heavyweights have Learned that they must avoid the Pitfalls of fish and chips and pub crawling if they want to remain within weigh standards. Personnel in Italy Are Temple by sumptuous pastas and pastries and a variety of wines and Cor dials. Starchy foods and wines create similar prob lems in Spain. The sudden weight increases that occur in foreign settings arc referred to an situational gains by maj. Frank Norton psychologist who Heads the in patient weight control program at the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden Norton observed this phenomenon during a Lour of duty in Thailand where air Force officers rapidly gamed weight after developing a special fondness for thai food. Dietary experts almost to a person agree i hat there is Only one Way to lose weight gained by environmental overeating and Over drinking and that is to eat less and in drink less. A.  Jeffrey chief of food service at the 97ih general caul Ioas the  to go easy on Thenn a if i Tell them not to i link intr at All i la probably Jim turn them  she said. &1smre americans fondness for German Beer wines and food can play havoc with waistlines. Wednesday May 4, 1977 the stars and stripes Page a3