Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-05-24
FLETCHERIzING.

NSA oSO SNAA ~ Ply SAo
gained renown for himself and his
method of dieting by his success in
reducing Bismarck. In his plan there
were several portions, but the part
that attracted most attention was the
advice to drink no water with meals.
The plan became somewhat popular,
but the better informed We're never
much impressed by it.
Two research men from the labora-
tories of jefferson Medical college have
investigated the subject, with results
that do not sustain the merits of the
no water with meals method of educ
ing obesity from the absorption of
more food than is needed for the re-
quirements of the body. Excess OF
food of II kind can produce it, but
the foods most potent in producing
obesity are the starcheS and sugars
the carbohydrates.
Blatherwick and Hawk found that
drinking water with meals did not in
crease the absorption of carbohydrates
and fats. AT best, the no water at
meals method of reducing was an at
tempt to cheat at the game. And
now these scientists show that there is
no scientific basis for it.
Then why did it accomplish some de-
gree of success? If you will look into
the method you will find that it COM
bined exercises, limitation of the
oiiiCtiil vi AOOu, dlIu SSpeCltlIy vi
sweets and starches, with prohibition
of water with meals. The results We're
he result of the first two of these
factors.
Associated with another research
student, l.. +. Foster, p. u. Hawk turns
n point or two from another field.
Fletcherism has as it's basis a substan-
tial truth. Blu this truth was devel-
oped, inflated, and distorted until it
became essentially an untrutl. 1t was
o~verchewed. One of it's fantasies was
the claim that a nan could cut his
meat bill in half by chewing but little
meat, but chewing that little long.
Foster n Hawk examined the
wastes of FletcheriZers and ordinary
chewers. They found that the Fletch-
erizers had a small advantage, but it
was very small. only one-fifth of / per
cent. If an ordinary chewer required
81 worth of meat in fou days, by be-
coming a Fletcherizer he could live on
99.S cents worth of meat.
The advantage of Fletcherizing
must be found elsewhere than in
nor in the meat requirements if
it is to be found at all. Metchnikoff
had previously shown that Fletcheriz-
ing meat did not prevent pu%trefaction.
When it comes to starches, Jones and
Hawk think there is lots of reason for
thinking that Fletcherizing, Or at least
prolonged chewing, prevents consider
able waste and aids digestion. In
other words, they think there is adj
vantage from prolonged chewing of
such articles as bread, cereals, pota-
toes. beans and peas.
AT the other extreme from Fletch-
erizing is the boiling of food. The di-
gestive apparatus of the men studied
by Foster n Hawk was powerful
enough to overcome some Of the eff
fects of boiling. They studied es-
pecially the waste from boiling half
chewed meat. They found that when
meat was bolted 1.6 per cent OF it was
passed undigested. 1t is plain that
proper chewing of meat canno be adj
vocated on economic grounds. A bolter
who needs one dollars worth of meat
would require SO 4-10 cents worth if
he chewed properly.
If there is disadvantage in boiling
ones food it must be for other han
economic reasons. The disadvantage
is the extra strain which it puts on the
digestive organs The stomach must
do more muscle work if the teeth do
not do their share Of the grinding. 1t
may do it successfully for a long time.
but it feels the effect in time. 1t was
not intended hat the human stomach
should b. a gizzard. To trim the
Fletcherizing fad a fair amount will
help it's truth to show through.