How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern ScienceFisher, Irving
Science
How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science
Fisher, Irving
Hygiene
[J] The standard death rate is that experienced by average insurance
risks of the same age, according to the Medico-Actuarial Committee.
The most favorable mortality (19 per cent. below the average) is found
among those aged 57 to 62 who are extremely light in weight, compared
with the average weight for those ages. The next lowest mortality in any
other age group (15 per cent. below the average) is among those aged 40
to 44 who are 5 to 10 pounds under the average weight.
[Sidenote: Diet for Underweight]
Thin people lose heat more readily than stout people, as they have a
larger percentage of active tissue and expose more skin surface in
proportion to the body weight. They require, therefore, an abundant
supply of energy food, or fuel foods, fats, starch and sugar. Butter
and olive oil are better than other fats and less likely to disturb the
digestion. Sugar is a valuable fuel food, but should not be taken in
concentrated form into an empty stomach. Sweets are best taken at the
end of a meal, but in such cases the teeth should be well cleansed.
Fruit at the end of a meal tends to prevent any injury to the teeth from
sugar and starches.
Potatoes, cereals, bread and all starchy vegetables are fattening, but
should be well chewed and tasted before swallowing. Thin, anemic people
derive much benefit from egg lemonade or egg-nogs (without alcohol) made
from the yolks, which contain fat, iron and other valuable elements.
[Sidenote: Exercise for Underweight]
Overfatigue and exhausting physical exertion should be avoided.
Moderate systematic exercises, with deep breathing, and sleeping out of
doors, or approaching as near to it as one can, are advisable. At middle
life and after, underweight, unless extreme or accompanied by evidence
of impaired health, should not give any concern. Other things being
equal, the old motto "A lean horse for a long race," holds good.
SECTION III
NOTES ON POSTURE
[Sidenote: Corrective Exercises for Faulty Posture]
Among simple exercises recommended for strengthening the abdominal
muscles and restoring the organs to normal position are the following:
Lie flat on the back and rise to a sitting posture; squat until the
thighs rest upon the calves of the legs. Lie flat on the back, head
downward on an inclined plane (an ironing board, uptilted, will do) and
make a bridge at intervals by arching the abdomen and resting on
shoulders and heels.
From the fundamental standing posture described in this section, a
number of exercises can be developed.
1. _Yard-arm._--While deeply inhaling (through the nose) slowly raise
the arms to horizontal position, straight out from the sides; let the
arms fall slowly to the sides while exhaling. The chest should be well
arched forward, hips drawn backward and arms hung back of thighs while
performing this exercise.
These movements should be performed at the rate of about 10 per minute.
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