Woman takes more interest in her figure than man does, and she is never wholly content with her present state: the thin woman envies her plump sister, while the plump one envies her her slenderness. It is not possible for all women to become beauty queens — and man himself would dislike it, for he sees a woman's beauty in what distinguishes her from others, in individual differences.
Whatever your figure, you can improve it by taking exercise and eating foods suited to your condition. I have noticed that a girl between seventeen and twenty grows troubled if she puts on weight or if the complexion of her face changes, whereas we consider added plumpness at such an age a natural thing; and she can reduce her weight as far as she is able if she eats the right food and takes care over her clothes. It is the mother's duty to guide her daughter as to what kind of clothes she should wear to suit her age and her body. Many girls play tennis, swim, dance, and walk, and these strengthen their muscles and prevent excessive stoutness.
The signs of femininity begin to blossom between the ages of twenty and twenty-five; and even as she advances in years, a woman keeps her beauty if she practices care over her diet!
Watch the calories that add to your weight. The human body is a machine that burns fuel to create energy; its fuel is food, and the units of power that food produces are called calories. The body spends a fixed number of them every day; if you eat more food than the stomach burns, the extra amount remains, to add to your
weight. These are well-known facts, but one thing stays hidden: it is not the "quantity" that adds the calories, but the "kind" of food, and the way it is prepared.
A student or a woman writer needs 2,000 calories a day; if her work increases she spends 2,400 calories, while a man working in an office needs 2,500 to 2,800, or more if his efforts increase. After
a person passes adolescence, and the age of twenty, athletic activity slackens, and one therefore needs fewer calories — unless one is doing strenuous work.
Whenever the body burns a gram of fat it gives off nine units, while a gram of "protein" gives seven. Fruits and vegetables are counted among the low-calorie foods. It is said that bananas are