PHYSICAL NEEDS 



common than one would suppose were one to listen to the 

 whims of every hypochondriac. 



A somewhat similar argument applies to the disuse 

 of certain foods on the ground of distaste for them. 

 Such distaste may result from some unpleasant ex- 

 perience due to eating the food in excess, or to having 

 had it prescribed as an article of exclusive diet during a 

 prolonged illness. An aversion to milk, for example, is 

 often due to the latter cause. But such a distaste may 

 usually be overcome by a little persistent effort, and, 

 in the case of any important class of foods, the effort 

 is worth the making, in the interest of a varied diet. 

 To yield to the aversion may result in cutting off from 

 your regular regimen an article of food that is essential 

 to a well-rounded dietary; to say nothing of the prac- 

 tical convenience of being able to eat the things that are 

 set before you on your own table or that of a friend. 

 And the latter reason alone is sufficient to make it 

 worth while to train every child to eat all manner of 

 common foods. It really is not very difficult in most 

 cases to do so, and the child will have abundant cause 

 to thank you in after years for the trouble. 



The recommendation of a varied diet, however, is 

 not to be carried to the extent of counselling absolute 

 indiscrimination. On the contrary, rational applica- 

 tion of the modern knowledge of food-stuffs may very 

 beneficially supplement the general knowledge that is 

 revealed in the average food customs of our time. 

 For example, you will do well to vary your diet to meet 

 the requirements of your particular mode of life. If 

 your employment is sedentary, and you take little 



