The Battle of the Bulge, Program No. 12
The exact date of this episode is unknown. We've filled in the date above with a placeholder. What we actually have on record is: 1955-uu-uu.
Albert Martin is overweight and has no problem with it. His sister Nelly, in town for a visit, always seems to be on a fad diet. "We come from a fat family" he explains, "father had a bay window and he was healthy as a horse, he would have lived to be 70 if he hadn't been carried off with that heart attack."
However, when Albert tries to increase his life insurance plan, his agent warns that he may not receive his requested amount as his weight is considered a high risk. When he returns home his wife, Gertrude informs him that a similarly overweight friend has just perished at age 44.
He decides that he should lose a few pounds and goes to the gym for a workout. Out of breath and red-faced, Albert runs into Empire County Health Commissioner, Dr. Walter Bell who warns him that he may be dangerously straining himself and recommends that he visit his doctor. His doctor gives him a diet that emphasizes reduced portions. Though the lifestyle adjustment is difficult at first, his sister Nelly finds that by her next visit he has slimmed down to a healthy weight.
[The Story of Empire County aired in 1955.
Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection
WNYC archives id: 150655
Municipal archives id: LT1890
