Boys were encouraged to eat as much as they wanted, luckily for them, they burned off the calories quickly. While girls were constantly concerned about their weight and not gaining a pound. But since that isn’t strictly a behavioral habit, it is more challenging to address. I was on a diet from the time I turned 13. My weight would fluctuate 20 pounds nearly every other month. I’m sure there was something chemically out of balance, but it didn’t seem to matter what the cause was. It was only important my self esteem was anchored to my impression of my self image. It would fluctuate drastically.
Hormonal changes in girls and boys were as apparent as they were opposing. Well, in most instances anyway. I noticed the deepening of the boys voices and some who would squeak uncontrollably at times compared to the girls feeling they had to shave their legs lest anyone see they now had hair on their legs.
The boys spent five minutes getting ready for school, the girls spent no less than thirty to sixty minutes making sure every detail was exactly right. The make up was applied perfectly, the clothes were exactly right and the hair, well, it was our crowning glory after all.