In the 1950s, women didn't need Pilates or yoga to stay fit.
They had 25-pound vacuum cleaners. A recent British study found
that back then the average waistline was 28 inches, but today
it's 36, because women had to exert so much more energy around
the house than they do now. No Roomba doing all the work while
they sat on the couch and ate Chex Mix. Without dryers or
microwaves, laundry and dinner were far more exhausting affairs.
Also, housewives spent a lot more time on their feet than their
modern counterparts, many of whom sit in front of computer
screens. And because most families had only one car that Dad got
first dibs on, Mom walked more. Sponsored by a company that
markets to U.K. citizens older than 50, the study claims that
toiling away at home burned 1,000 calories a day. Dr. Charles
Billington, associate director of the Minnesota Obesity Center
at the University of Minnesota, finds the study's worth dubious,
while not disputing that its claim holds true in the United
States as well. "Since calor