The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-12-24

And ever after he rolled helpless in
the ditch.
The man who eats because he likes
to eat has much in his favor. II there
Is only one reason for eating he IL
fortunate In having chosen II, despite
the adage, formulated in some hermt
tage OF monastry. centuries ago,
Live not to eat, but eat to i've
The latest word from the physiolog'
ical chemist Is that appetite Juice
is one Of the chief requirements OF
good digestion.
But there is another side to the
question, Why do we eat? The ath'
leto who eats what he likes, as he
likes and when he likes, cannot win
the race Paul advised taking a lit
tie wine for the stomaoh's sake. even,
presumably though It might be dis
tasteful, and the highest medical au'
thoritles are unanimous In prescribing
certain diet to be eaten under certain
circumstances. Evidently II is not
always best to eat as one feels dis
posed
Tho lower animals are able TO se'
lect their food by instinct, but man
has lost this power TO large extent
and II must be supplemented by rea'
son, by science by living in unnat-
ural conditions imposed by civiliza.
uon, we have acquired unnatural ap-
petites that are destructive of health,
physical and moral A man may
drink pint OF brandy because he
wants II, but who will say that that
Is reason sufficient? We have an APP
petite for flesh, but are we sure that
such appetite Is normal, that we are
the better for eating meat because
we feel disposed to eat &C? Is Il, rs
vegetarians claim, an acquired appe
lite, like that for tea and coffee,
which are said, by most authorities.
TO be iniurious2
II would seem that the obvious an
swer to the question, Why do YOU
eat? Is. Because ! am hungry Yet
one who habitually eats too much can.
not be hungry The desire for food
arises frequently from that gnawing
sensation resulting from the fer
mentation OF superfluous food, pro-
ducing condition OF auto-intoxica-
tion. In fasting there is an almost
irresistible desire for food the first
two or three days: then the appetite
leaves one for several days: there IL a
gain in strength with loss in weight;
and when distinct desire for food
| returns Il is natural hunger, ca lily
satisfied; but this natural appetite In
many cases does not come for 30 days
or more, showing that the former APP
petite was unnatural.
We do not feed a horse on the the
DRY that he should be guided solely
by his inclinations in eating and drink
ing. but largely by our knowledge Of
what is best for him under the arti-
fetal conditions under which he lives
and that he may be able To do his
best work And why should not a
human being have the benefit of such
knowledge? Should not the child. es'
peclally, have the benefit OF right feed
ing?
With all due allowance for the fact
that one mans meat may be another
mans poison, that authorities are not
unanimous on foods and feeding, yet
Il Is true that there is a science oi
human feeding. that we have lost oui
Instinct for determining what the sys
tenn needs for nutrition and therefore
appetite should be to some extent
guided by reason, Certainly one
should eat because he enjoys IL, but
also, whether he be an athlete, a Ia
borer or professional man, because
eating largely determines efficiency
and because health depends upon foo'
, more than upon anything else exeep
pure air, pure water, and right think
| ing which is fundamental.