Viewpoint: Worth your weight in water

While changing the water bottles in my office, it hit me that I had been carrying the equivalent of 1.5 of these on my body all of the time. No wonder I was feeling tired and had some aching joints!

I lost 65 pounds last year and have found that a good way to help my overweight and obese patients appreciate the impact of their weight is to have them carry this 5-gallon water jug, which weighs 45 pounds.

Our skeletons are like Christmas trees: We must be very careful regarding the size of the ornaments placed; otherwise the stresses will be too great and the tree will break.

The author practices family medicine in San Marcos, California.