Obesity is one of the leading causes of accelerated aging, according to Cooper, If you lose weight, stop smoking, and exercise, he says, you can slow the aging processand make dramatic changes in your looks in a relatively short period of time.

　　A 37-year-old sales director for a Boston computer-distribution company is a prime example. Over six feet tall, he had been considerably overweight most of his like. Then he began to worry that his appearance could be hurting his career. I got tired of people thinking I was the same age as my brother, whos nearly nine years older, he says, When youre fat, people in the business world assume youre out of control.

　　Determined to change, the sales director entered a hospital-based diet program and dropped over 70 pounds. I feeland lookten years younger. he says.

　　At 82, Clarice R. Mc Williams, a retired business owner in Dallas, has the appearance, skin tone and mental agility of someone many years younger. Most people think Im in my 60s. she boasts.

　　Mc Williams admits genes play some role in the way she looks, but believes diet is an important factor. It doesnt matter how good the genes are if you dont eat properly and take care of yourself, she says. If you want to look good, get plenty of rest, exercise every day, eat mostly raw fruits and vegetablesand quit worrying.

　　Says Blumberg, Theres certainly a link between good nutrition, a positive 30 　attitude and improved quality of life. People can have a say in whats going on with their bodies by selecting a healthful diet.

　　Skin. Nowhere do the signs of aging manifest themselves more clearly than in the condition of the skin. When your weight fluctuates, the skin stretches with each up cycle, but it may not completely shrink back to its original size in the down cycle. As a result, the skin may sag.

　　A severely deficient diet can lead to skin disorders, dramatically affecting ones appearance. By the same token, a well-balanced diet with ample supplies of nutrients is thought by many experts to produce a glowing, younger look.

　　Zinc and vitamin A are important for normal, healthy skin. Zinc helps the skin repair itself, and vitamin A aids in keeping skin supple, preventing dryness and helping shed dead cells. Good sources of zinc are beef, eggs and seafood, while many dark-green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Other foods containing ample amounts of beta carotene include carrots, cantaloupe, winter squash, sweet potatoes, sweet red peppers, apricots and mangoes.

　　Vitamin C helps improve the blood supply to the skin and aids in forming collagen , the fibrous protein that lies beneath the skins surface and gives it a smooth appearance. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits and juices, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, snow peas, red and green peppers, broccoli, white and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe.

　　Greens are excellent sources of skin-preserving nutrients and, generally, the darker the leaves, the more nutritious. Romaine lettuce, for example has about six times as much vitamin C and eight times as much beta carotene as iceberg

　　Obesity is one of the leading causes of accelerated aging, according to Cooper, If you lose weight, stop smoking, and exercise, he says, you can slow the aging processand make dramatic changes in your looks in a relatively short period of time.

　　A 37-year-old sales director for a Boston computer-distribution company is a prime example. Over six feet tall, he had been considerably overweight most of his like. Then he began to worry that his appearance could be hurting his career. I got tired of people thinking I was the same age as my brother, whos nearly nine years older, he says, When youre fat, people in the business world assume youre out of control.

　　Determined to change, the sales director entered a hospital-based diet program and dropped over 70 pounds. I feeland lookten years younger. he says.

　　At 82, Clarice R. Mc Williams, a retired business owner in Dallas, has the appearance, skin tone and mental agility of someone many years younger. Most people think Im in my 60s. she boasts.

　　Mc Williams admits genes play some role in the way she looks, but believes diet is an important factor. It doesnt matter how good the genes are if you dont eat properly and take care of yourself, she says. If you want to look good, get plenty of rest, exercise every day, eat mostly raw fruits and vegetablesand quit worrying.

　　Says Blumberg, Theres certainly a link between good nutrition, a positive 30 　attitude and improved quality of life. People can have a say in whats going on with their bodies by selecting a healthful diet.

　　Skin. Nowhere do the signs of aging manifest themselves more clearly than in the condition of the skin. When your weight fluctuates, the skin stretches with each up cycle, but it may not completely shrink back to its original size in the down cycle. As a result, the skin may sag.

　　A severely deficient diet can lead to skin disorders, dramatically affecting ones appearance. By the same token, a well-balanced diet with ample supplies of nutrients is thought by many experts to produce a glowing, younger look.

　　Zinc and vitamin A are important for normal, healthy skin. Zinc helps the skin repair itself, and vitamin A aids in keeping skin supple, preventing dryness and helping shed dead cells. Good sources of zinc are beef, eggs and seafood, while many dark-green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Other foods containing ample amounts of beta carotene include carrots, cantaloupe, winter squash, sweet potatoes, sweet red peppers, apricots and mangoes.

　　Vitamin C helps improve the blood supply to the skin and aids in forming collagen , the fibrous protein that lies beneath the skins surface and gives it a smooth appearance. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits and juices, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, snow peas, red and green peppers, broccoli, white and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe.

　　Greens are excellent sources of skin-preserving nutrients and, generally, the darker the leaves, the more nutritious. Romaine lettuce, for example has about six times as much vitamin C and eight times as much beta carotene as iceberg