These days many people are interested in losing weight. It is very popular among people, especially young people. Everybody hopes to become thin quickly. Some people even take medicine. Do you know how to control weight? Well…diet and exercise are the right answers. Please read and remember the following tips.

Tip 1: You should eat only when you are hungry. Don’t eat if you don’t feel hungry.

Tip 2: You should eat only food that is good for your health. Don’t eat junk food such as hamburgers and French fries.

Tip 3: It is better to prepare your own food instead of eating out. When you eat out, you may eat too much. That can make you become fatter.

Tip 4: Don’t forget to think about changing your lifestyle. For example, turn off the TV and the computer and take some exercise every day. Remember not to be too strict with yourself. Give yourself some free time to find the best way to control your weight.

In school, we are told to drink water between classes. Our parents ask us to bring our water bottles to school and we’re reminded by experts that water is good for our skin and helps control our weight. But how much should we actually be drinking?

For many years, people have followed the advice of drinking eight glasses of water, eight times a day, known as the “8×8 rule”. According to Jessica Brown, this seems to have partly come from a misunderstanding of old advice that was published almost 80 years ago. In 1945, a study advised drinking one millilitre (毫升) of liquid for each calorie (卡路里) of food. This is about two litres of water a day, or eight glasses per person. But, Jessica says, the reality is that different people have different needs. Weight, age and activity level all play a role in how much water someone should drink.

Then do we need to control how much water we drink? It’s not that important, according to Dr. Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania. He says our bodies are good at telling us when we need water. When we are thirsty, it means our bodies need more water. Our kidneys (肾脏) help us keep the water we have, even before we feel thirsty.

There are, of course, benefits to drinking water. It helps our bodies stay at the right temperature. It helps us keep away bad things in our bodies. It helps us digest (消化) food. It protects our joints (关节).

So, next time you feel thirsty, reach for a glass of water. But don’t worry if you don’t drink exactly eight glasses a day. Your body knows what it needs.