Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-06-01
HEALTH EDUCATION AND CHO-
CLIO, THE HEALTH OFFICER.

Six million underweight school
children and fifteen million with phys
ical defects which might be prevented
or corrected-these are the figures
which have startled educators the
country over and have convinced the
department of the interior that health
education is vitality needed in our
schools. Already fourteen million
school children in thirty states are
being weighed and measured in con-
nection with this health contest. and
the hope of the department is to in
elude every one of our twenty-five
million school children in it.
At the exhibition of the department
in Washington this week its methods
of health education are on display,
and they are beth new and effective.
The theory Inc department is acting
on, according to DR.. Claxton, COM
missioner of Education. is this: IF
you want children to be healthy you
must interest them in health-make
it a game not a punishment, con-
test, not a discipline. and teach them
simple rules for winning it
| To do this the bureau of education
| is distributing to all schools which
want them health. records on which
the children write their names, their
age, height weight, and what their
weight should be. and then month by
| month note their gain. Gaining the
proper half-pound each month be-
comes a contest in which every child
is eager to excei.
Cho Cho, illustrating what he says
| with dramatic action, tells the chill
dren what to eat and how to eat II;
and what and how not to eat. He lays
down the fundamental health rules
which are based on the teach'ncs of
! DR.. L. Emmett Holt on the back of
the little weight tags which children
receive when they are weighed md
measured. The rules are cleaa teeth,
which means a brushing once day.
a clean BODY which means for the
outside a bath at least twice week,
and for the inside n daily cleaning
out of all waste matters; eating fresh
vegetables or fruit at least once a
day; drinking milk, and not DRINKING
tea or coffee.
/ on these rules taught to children
DIR. Holt has declared a new race of
i Americans can be built. Cnderweight
I in children. it has been found, has
little or nothing to do with income.
The children of the well-to- do are as
far below par sthe children of the
/. poor Health Is matter of knowl-
edge-knowedge on the part of the
children. If a way can be found to
impress this knowledge upon then
whatever the plan is, it will be pro-
nounced by all parents a good one.
Cho Cho is sure TO become the firm
friend of Children--n kind of modern
fairy whose words once followed will
turn weakness into strength, make the
sad happy and transform the world.
For complete success the bureau of
education is working for the following
things: a nair of scales IN every
school house; a monthly record of the
weight of every child entered on his
report card; time for teachers to
teach health in every school day;
courses in normal schools in health
education.
All these things are necessary il
, the school children of America are
to be given fair chance at health
Secretary Lane and the department
of the interior are to be congratulated
on their efforts in behalf of the chill
dren and of the nation.