Alcohol addiction. It is much more dangerous than smoking. As a rule, it takes a woman less time to become a habitual drunkard than a man, and her treatment is more difficult. In Russia drunkards traditionally evoked resentment and women-drunkards were uncommon. Nowadays a sight of a drunkard irritates but, alas, doesn't shock anymore. A mother drunkard means grief and suffering for children, uncosy home, family quarrels and a divorce. There is a proverb that shows the people's attitude towards a woman-drunkard: "If husband abuses alcohol - half of the house is on fire, if wife abuses alcohol - the whole house is on fire."

Smoking

It is common knowledge that nicotine does much harm to the woman's looks and health. Still, not every woman can curb the nicotine addiction though there exist a great number of methods to fight it. Sometimes Russian women justify their smoking by saying that it seems to keep them from getting stout. At the same time, it has been proved that the female organism is injured by smoking to a greater extent than the male's one. The most horrible feature of the Russian reality is that the number of smoking girls and women is increasing while the number of smoking men has dropped, thus indicating their genuine interest in the healthy way of life.

Egypt, Turkey, and now Israel, added to the list, are the most popular resorts for Russians. Though Israel is much more expensive than the other two, it’s getting more and more popular with Russians due to the combination of its nice beaches, Christian places and health resorts at the Dead Sea.
In 2008, more Russian tourists arrived in Israel than ever before, and in response to the dramatic increase, the Moscow Municipality-owned company Sun Dream has announced plans to open a $100-million luxury resort at Ein Bokek, on the southern shores of the Dead Sea, in mid- 2009.
The year 2008 have already seen 230,000 Russian tourists in Israel, an increase of over 100% compared to the same period last year. Russian tourists are the third largest source of incoming tourists to Israel, to the world's most famous natural spa. Besides, one of the most attractive features for Russians is that many people in Israel and the physicians speak fluent Russian.
Initially the health resort has been established basically for healing cosmetology and dermatology problems. Nowadays, the cosmetology became inseparable part of every woman daycare as well as men’s. The availabilities of the "gentle", not burning sun, and favorable influence of mineralized, dry and the cleanest, not allergic air, and disinfecting action of water, and feeding action of the mud of the Dead Sea in many times strengthen the effect.
Having rest and treatment in Israel is not cheap for Russians, and it’s defined by both a standard of life, and incomes of the population. But this is an outcome from a very important commercial principle - expenses should provide the high standard of services otherwise as the Russian saying goes” The avaricious pays twice.”

Everybody knows – tastes differ. Different people like different things. Some men like blonds, some – brunets. Some prefer slim girls, others – plump. And all the Russian women are also different. But all of them want to be beautiful and loved. Russian women use make up, have their hair done at the hairdresser’s, buy new trendy things, keep to a diet. But what really makes them slimmer, trimmer and healthier is sport. To be fat, sick or pale is ‘out of fashion’ in Russia now. So sport is an important part of practically every girl in Russia.

Some of my former classmates ( girls ) get together every Sunday to play volley-ball. Others train themselves in fitness clubs. Many of them go in for jogging, walking, swimming, skiing. Skating is also very popular now after the national project on TV “Stars on the Ice”. I love walking, swimming, dancing and cross country skiing as well.

Russian women want to be in a good shape, they make every effort to look good and take care of themselves. And though they gain some weight with years, most Russian girls and women are slim, trim and look younger than their age.

Notwithstanding, Russians have an advantage over other nations: their genes allow for the development of a healthy organism. The high death toll, shorter length of life, increase in the number of infectious and chronic diseases that have boomed in recent years result essentially from social disturbances. Change the living conditions and you will see the above mentioned rates change for the better. What is most important is that genetically sound constitution permits a Russian woman, under optimum conditions, give birth to healthy babies.

Sport plays an important part in healthcare. In recent years there have been a universal tendency among Russian girls and young women to go in for aerobics, shaping and gymnastics. The women of forty and more years old attend health groups. A vigorous development is experienced by socially prestigious kinds of sport that were not encouraged before, such as lawn-tennis and mountain skiing.