Evening star., 1941-01-20
Insufficient
Exercise Is
Unhealthy
Causes Women to
Imagine Many
Minor Ills
By Patricia Lindsay.

Winter is a good time to warn
women that many minor illnesses
are caused through insufficient ex-
erclse. During active. cooler months
women are likely to neglect this
phase Of intelligent body care-get-
ting down on the mat or out of
doors to exercise becomes a major
effort!
There is a marvellous physician
in New York whose name I am not
permitted to dlvulge because of med
lcal ethics) who treats ailing women
with the most sensible psychology.
After his female patients pour
out their woes and describe their
ailments he examines them care
fully in a routine manner and pre-
scrlbes two weeks of corrective diet,
more sunshine than they have been
taking and exercise every blessed
day.
He may give a patient a pre-
scription of something quite harm
less if he thinks that will make
her feel she has had her fees
worth, but on the whole he sends
them out to take care of themselves
for IA days and his last words of
advice are quite likely to be The
exercise is very important. Force
yourself to take it even if you have
little desire for it. Two weeks of
exercise will greatly aid me in put
ting my finger on your trouble"
If the woman is truly worried
about her condition she returns for
her second visit He examines her
again, inquiries about what exercise
she followed and how frequently.
The chances are 8 out of 10 that she
was pretty lazy about the exercise.
He then preScribes another week or
two-veek program and cautions her
again that she must exercise if she
wants an accurate diagnosis.
Some women never come back
after the first visit They exercise
and diet and feel so we'll that they
figure it foolish to go and pay
another doctors fee.
II lose patients that way" this
doctor told me with grand twinkle
in his eyes. but I start them on
the road OF a couple of more years
of good health"
The repeater patients may or may
not have something organically or
mentally wrong with them. but this
physician figures a lot of guess
work can be eliminated when the
patient has shaken herself out OF
a lethargv and lived sensibly for
several weeks.
Very stout ladies lose weight dur
ing the first weeks and too thin
ladies put on little weight They
like coming to the doctor who seems
to be sensible" and who shows a
most amazing interest in their con-
dition.
In discussing this technique with
me this physician stated candidly
that some of these patients do need
medical treatment. but many of
them do not. All of them are bene-
fitted by the health routine and in
some cases rather serious illnesses
and operations are averted. Emer-
gency cases, naturally. are quickly
diagnosed and cared for. But he
estimated that more than IS per
cent of these women have no all
ment other than physical lazyness.
Life is too easy for them and
they have not the common sense
to exercise their bodies to keep them
f1t," the doctor said. Naturally
aches and pains and other imagi-
nary ills send them to me-and
some are terribly disappointed when
I tell them nothing is wrong with
them and they do not need an
operation!'
Keep healthy and timber. Send
for Miss Lindsay's leaflet How
to Acquire a Perfect Silhouette"
Write her care of The Evening
Star and inclose a self addressed,
stamped (3-cent envelope to
cover mailing cost.