Clothing and Heath
LIU ZHANWEN
CLOTHES, symbol of civilization, should first protect the body from heat and cold, injury and being invaded by dis¬ease. Second, they reflect the outlook, living standard and age of people. Artistic and tasteful clothes make a person look no¬ble and dignified.

But people should not just pay attention to style, they should also make sure that clothes are comfortable and good for health. Whatever their design, pattern and style, they should be warm and fit well. Room must be left between the body and the clothing for exchange of heat, which gives the feeling of comfort. Researchers believe that if the climate inside clothing remains at 32° ± l'C in temperature, 50° ± 10% in humidity, and 25 ± 15 cm/sec. air exchange, the body temperature will be normal. Only normal temperature can help improve the efficiency of work and the speed of recovery from illness.

From the point of view of health and longevity, comfort in clothing is the prime need. Thus, the selection of material and design are very important. Patterns must vary with the season, place and person.

Clothes for Spring

In the spring, the yang (heavenly energy) rises and the climate is changeable. Specialists in the maintenance of good health believe that much attention should be paid to wind and coldness. Clothes for spring should be loose, soft and warm. Cotton is ideal for underclothes because it absorbs well, has good ventilation and retains heat. Though dacron is thin, it does not do these well. Early spring often brings sudden changes in temperatures. For fitness, clothing should not be reduced too early, or it becomes easier to catch colds or other illnesses. Clothes should be increased or reduced according to temperature changes, thus helping the body to get used to the climate of spring.

Clothes for Summer

To take account of the heat, summer clothes must have good ventilation to let body heat out, allowing absorption and evaporation. They should be of light, soft material and of light colors that reflect radiation. Best materials for this are linen and pure silk. These are light, ventilate well and are comfort¬able as underwear. Pure cotton absorbs well but does not let body heat out as well. Cotton underwear often sticks to the body because of sweat. Thus neither cotton nor dacron is good for summer dress or underwear. The patterns for summer dress should be lively and of much variety, such as vests, T-shirts, shorts, shirts and pants. Skirts and dresses for girls and women should be light, cool and graceful.

Autumn Clothes

As the temperatures go down slowly, the changes are not so abrupt as in the spring, neither are they stable. An old say¬ing goes, "There are four seasons in a day and the weather dif¬fers in only 10 li (5 km)." To be sure of staying warm, more clothes should be prepared — lined jackets, sweat shirts, thin sweaters, light overcoats. Clothes should be added steadily as the cold increases, thus preparing the body for freezing winter. Add them gradually, for putting all on at once does not build up adaptability and also restricts activity. This is why we often say, "Don't take off clothes in the spring until the weather be¬comes really warm, and in the autumn don't put on clothes un¬til the weather becomes really cool."

Winter Clothes

Material for winter clothes should be good heat conductors and preservers, such as wool, polyvinyl and other synthetic fibers such as orlon. Dark colors are better heat absorbers. In winter the yang should be kept. Cotton underwear is warm and comfortable in winter. Coats, shoes and socks should be rela¬tively big and loose to provide good circulation of vital energy and blood, warming arms and legs.

With fur or sweat clothes, the fur side and soft nap should face inside, for they store a large quantity of air which acts as an insulation and prevents the loss of body heat. This is why people wear woolen knitwear. Cotton is now replaced with soft, light and warm silk floss, camel hair, artificial wool and down. But to wear excessively warm clothing will cause the loss of yang and this, in the following spring, will cause colds and other illnesses.

Clothes should not only be changed with the seasons but with each change of temperature within the season. This imProves metabolism, strengthens resistance to disease and helps prolong life.

Clothing should be changed and washed regularly but the following taboos must be remembered.

1. Don't take clothes off while you are sweating. Ancient health specialists pointed out that skin texture and hair follicles are open when sweating. Colds come easily if you change clothes at this time.

2. After the sweating ceases, change to clean and dry clothes at once. Sun Simiao, ancient health specialist, said, "One should not wear wet or sweated clothes long, for this may cause skin ulcers or itching." Clothes drenched with sweat dry slowly, making the body lose a large quantity of yang. Skin weakly defended and humid can lead to pathological changes such as rheumatism.

3. Clothes should not be too tight. Fashion rather than health often dictates the selection of clothes. Some patterns, such as jeans and tight-fitting outfits, may be popular but do not give enough attention to health, affecting normal circula¬tion of vital energy and blood and even breathing. Those under 18 years, girls in particular, should not wear tight clothes. Neither should those with dermatitis, carbuncles, piles and ure¬thritis, those who sweat a lot, pregnant women, and those with chronic diseases such as TB and diabetes. Fashion design¬ers should not only pay attention to style but to the effect of their clothes on health.