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Girls of fourteen and boys of sixteen have reached approximately their highest caloric requirement. From then on to manhood and womanhood the amount of food they need diminishes in quantity to about 2400 calories a day for a woman of moderate activity and 3400 calories a day for a man of moderate activity.

Men and women of equal weight and the same degree of activity may consume practically equal amounts of food. Generally, however, men and boys, because they build heavier bones and muscles than women and girls, need a more generous food supply.

The wide range of individual caloric requirements, depending upon age, sex, occupation, etc., is illustrated by the fact that a laboring man may need as high as 4000 calories a day to sustain him properly, a laundress 3000 calories a day, whereas a sedentary seamstress or teacher may need only 2000 to 2200 calories a day.

On the following page is a general chart of the number of calories that the different members of an average family should have daily. It helps to get at a glance the relative amounts of food needed by young and old, even if not applied in detail. Page 92 of the Appendix gives the number of calories needed daily by people of different ages and occupation, showing how physical effort and weight modify the amounts of food needed as measured by calories.