The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-06-06
I6c 8omr CircIe.

Eating Habits Of Americans,
It has been the remark Of every in
telligent foreigner who has enjoyed the
opportunity Of studying our social Gus
toms, that no people on the globe eat
as much as Americans. Medical men
in our midst attribute the prevalence Of
dyspepsia chiefly, if not altogether, to
this gluttony. We begin, they say, to
stuff in childhood, we continue it
through adolescence, we persevere till
middle age; and when at last the stomach
succumbs, worn out by over -tasking, we
lament for the rest Of our lives our com
pulsory abstinence It must be con-
fessed that these charges are substan-
TALLY true In the dwellings Of the
comparatively poor, as we'll as in the
households of the rich, there is, on The
average, twenty per cent. more food
consumed than nature requires or
health will allow. So universal is this
national foible that few are really aware
of it. Hundreds and thousands Of
men, women and children in these Uni
ted States daily eat to excess yet will
smile incredulously when first accused
oft
To this gluttouy, more than our eli.
mate, is to be attributed the sallow
compilations we have as a race. To this
also may be traced that tendency to de.
preston of spirits which is equally
characteristic of u.s. The overloaded
stomach is never permitted to have rest
and, as a consequence, the skin acts
sluggishly, the mind feels dull, and a
lassitude pervades the entire system
Let any one Of our readers who have
been accustomed to hearty meals, and
who complains that he feels stuI id after
dinner, and indisposed to work, try fol
a week or two a more frugal diet, and
our word for it, he will find that hC
sleeps better, his animal spirits are
higher, that his intellect acts more
clearly and rapidly. Even his person
al appearance will improve, his com
pleXion becoming clearer and his eye
brighter. Nor is it our sex alone tha
would be benefited by more temperate
eating Many a fair belle who nov
flies to cosmetics, would be vastly love
lier, without the aid of art, if she were
less fond of luscious cookery, and mOrt
seIfdenying in disposing Of it.
1t would be a curious, but instruc
tive calculation, TO count up in dollar
and cents the amount annually wasted
in the United States, in excessive eat
! ing. We have no doubt that the ag
gregate would buy up food year by yea
for all the famine.struck nations in tht
world. Millions would be inadequate
to represent the total Think hov
much greater the realized wealth of tht
American people would be, if health
full temperance in eating had character
lied them for the last two generations
3 There would have been, in that event
more than enough to liquidate Ou
whole foreign debt, including all tn
money borrowed for our railroads, ca
nails, coal mines, &C., &c. 1t is proba
bic that, an average, one.fOurth Of
the money now spent on the table eve
rywhere throughout the Union nigh
d be saved not only without injury t
those eating, but positively to their ad
s vantage. Intemperance in food is al
E most as general as intemperance i
drink once was, only the former, frou
being less Immediately deleterious, doe
not attractsO much notice Exchange