Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-06-09
DO We Eat TOO Much ?

that we eat too much. Yet most of us
are in constant scramble to get more
But the professor has proved his con-
tentiOn by means of experiments, which
he recently recounted to a meeting of
the National Academy of Sciences in
Washington. He said three Glasses of
men were experimental on several
professors at the school, including Pro
lessor Chittenden himself; several stu
dents and squad of United States sol
diers. There was a gradual reduction
of meat and other proteid foods. with
little if any increase in starch and 9th
fixed regimen was required in any
case, the endeavor being to satisfy the
appetite of each subject. In only one
case was meat entirely eliminated
from the diet.
At the end of the experiments, which
lasted nearly a year and were conclud-
ed only a few days ago, the entire lot
Of men who had been Professor Chit
tenden's subjects were in the best of
health. Their weight in some cases
was almost exactly the same as when
the experiments were begun and in
some slightly lower Their bodily Wig
or was greater, and their strength was
much greater, partially owing to their
regular physical exercises and partially
owing, Professor Chittenden believes,
to the smaller amount of food eaten.
The daily consumption Of food at the
close of the experiments was much less
than the recognized standard and from
third to half as much as the aver
age man eats.
In line with Professor Chittenden's
experiments is the testimony Of Thorn
as A. Edison.
In recent issue of Outing the cele-
brated inventor says:
Eating has become a habit with most
every one 1t is like taking morphine
the more YOU take the more you want. ]
eat almost nothing eat less than q
pound of food a day; three meals, but just
enough to nourish the body.
We are not all Edisons, sad to say.
The Menlo Park magician, If popular
reports are to be credited, eats when he
thinks of it and sleeps when he has
nothing else to do. When interested in
one Of his inventions, Edison has been
known to work-well, we are afraid to
say just how many consecutive hours
at stretch, but they We're enough to
make the average man dizzy at the
mere contemplation. Whether he eats
at all at such times is mere conjec-
ture. Edison himself probably does
not remember. Perhaps he gets food
and recuperation from his ideas. They
are tangible and palpable enough. Still,
with the ordinary individual it is fear
ed that they would form rather thin
diet.
Eating is habit. There Is no doubt
Of that. 1t Is pm expensive habit too.
Still. most habits are difficult to break,
and eating is one Of them. This raises
the old question of whether we eat to
live or live to eat. Most folks do not
enter into this speculative aspect of the
question. They simply eat because they
like it. If indigestion follows, they
take dope.
Some years ago Colorado Springs
man made the startling announcement
that he could live on air and water
He had experimental, he said, and had
not suffered in consequence. He rec
| commended this diet Of wind pudding
and water consomme to his fellow be-
ings. We never heard how many took
up sliced atmosphere and the water
cure as regular menu. If any Of them
did and survived, they never reported
the fact, to our knowledge. Possibly
they were trying to forget the expert
ence.
1 Nevertheless it is probably a fact
that we eat too much. If we exercised
our lungs and muscles more and our
alimentary organs less, we would
/ doubtless have: more health and GER
tainly more wealth at the end Of the
year. But, then, think of the enjoy
ment we would miss, to say nothing Of
the grocers, butchers and bakers that
would be deprived Of business! These
might be driven to a curtailment of diet
AZ matter Of necessity. I.
Perhaps temperance is the best rule
| in all things, even in. promulgating
theories Somewhere between the gor.
mand and the wind pudding man is
the golden road Of sanity. Most ,nen
IRE governed in the amount they eat
4 by their appetites and the state Of theil
i pocketbooks. The proper adjustment
between the two has furnished The
chief domestic problem in all ages.
Without attempting to solve the
problem. here Is a chance throw Eal
what you want. but don't 0ant to-
much.