The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-01
A STUDY OF DIETS.
The Government May Begin an Anti
Fat Crusade.

Fat Crusade.
Washington Letter in Chicago Post
A department OF the United States gov
eminent is thinking seriously of begin
ming a national anti-fat crusade. deter
mined war upon obesity will be waged
along strictly scientific lines. There Is ev-
cry reason to believe that it will meet con-
siderable success-at least that is the opin-
ion of the officials most interested. The
movement opens the pleasant prospect of
Americans becoming famous as the lean
est people in the world.
or course the department which is about
to take this matter up is the Department
of Agriculture. To none other than the
largest scientific organization in the world
would such an unusual project seem FEAST
ble Yet DR.. Harvey w. Wiley chief of
the Bureau of Chemistry. believes it will be
a simple matter to accomplish great results
in the line of lessening the superfiuous
flesh of the American people.
The first intimation DR.. Wiley gave of
his intention was in a speech before the
National Society for the Advancement of
Science. DR.. Wiley said that after finishing
the work Of arranging healthful diets for
dumb animals his bureau might take up
the matter Of properly feeding the human
animal.
There is no use in making man fat"
he said, unless we wish TO eat him."
There was a laugh at this way of putting
II 1t was thought at the time to be a
mere pleasantly, but in an interview DIR.
Wiley makes it plain that he was serious.
He does not see. in fact, any reason for
making man fat unless he is desired for
table purposes.
l suffer from 1t little myself. 1t is caused
Dy improper eating. We could experiment
on the human body. as we have upon dumb
animals, TO see what foods make the most
TAT. In fact. it is well known already.
OBESITY is caused by eating too much
starch and sugar. This is already known.
all walks of life. We could circulate these
all over the country. so that people would
know what to eat.
"A man who is doing hard manual labor
must eat fattening foods The coolie who
eats great deal of rice is able to stand
more physical work than any other race in
the world. The negro in the South con-
sumes great deal of corn bread and fat
pork. That Is an ideal diet for a man doing
hard manual labor, but for one of seden-
'ary occupation s1I ton it is bad; -. M,
this: Baby food which will make your
baoy as fat as a pig! Now, that is the
worst thing you can do for a baby-start
the fattening process at such an early age.
person must have a certain amount of
fat as reserve to be called upon in case
or necessity, as in sickness or starvation.
II a peISOH ulu not nave any tat ne WOULD
probably die in few days when he got
sick. But IL you increase your reserve
great deal more than is necessary you are
Numbering yourself with a great deaf
which. is not needed, and that becomes
disease. 1t is not true that one who Is alb
normally fat is abnormally healthy. In
tact. there Is no such thing being alb
normally healthy, for health Is normsi
8, VI have been thinking about FIVE years
or the advisability of publishing e docu-
ment giving list of proper diets for per-
sons doing all kinds of work TO cou.teract
the effect of articles by persons who have
| no knowledge of the subject. They may
De good COOKS and may prepare exquisite
dishes. but they don't know anything
about the subject scientifically. 1t is neces-
country that there should be an authorita-
| tive statement Of what is good for people
| In different occupations to eat
Il cannot say how long we will be en-
gagged In our present work on dumb ami
mails. 1t may take two or three years
But there is no reason why the work on
the human animal should not begin before
then"
DR.. Wiley was asked about the poor un-
fortunates compelled to eat at boarding
houses.
"They-have r-commiseration. he said.
And yet. the boarding house keepers might
make an arrangement which would be of
benefit to- themselves as we'll as to their
boarders."
II was made evident during the, interview
that DR.. Wiley has the scheme well laid out
In his mind. His recommendation will have
| great weight, and IL may be expected that
in few years there will be circulated lists
| OF official diets prescribed by the, govern
ment for the fat people OF the country.
There viii be also bills of fare for lean
people who wish to add fat, for the one
proposition is but the converse Of the other.
and they Will both be worked out together