Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-21
SOME STARTLING FACTS ON
AMERICUS PUPILS

EIFTY-THREE per cent of the chill
dren of the Americas Grammar
school are more than rs per cent IN
der weight, with 1873 per cent of
them 10 per cent and more under
weight, while some of the percent
ages run as low as 20 to Is per cent
underweight.
These figures are obtained from the
actual records of the accurate
weights of the children of the
school as taken and kept by Miss
Sarah Cobb, PRINCIPAL of the Gram
mar school.
1t is a recognized fact by medical
authorities that every child wig is
as much as per cent underweight
for his height and age, may be class
ed as malnourished, or undernou"-
ished. This condition may be caus-
ed by bad food habits, by bad habits
of hygiene, or by physical defects.
Many gain the idea that an under
nourished child is one who is not SUI
fciently fed. Such is not the case.
The needs Of one child are not the
needs of another child physically,
Where one child requires sweets to
build up the system, another chill
may become undernourished by the
lavish and in discreet use of the same
food Again, while others who
might requie meat for proper nour-
ishment, this same food would pro
i duce a tendency to undernourish-
ment in another. So, the feeding
of children underweight is a matter
for constant and careful study by
parents and teachers alike.
Malnutrition is definite depart
ure from health which, experts say,
should be recognized as much as tu-
berculosis. 1t has certain definite
causes and definite after effects.
Moreover, some of these after eff
fects can never be entirely overcome.
The proper weight for height and
age is to child what foundation
is to a building. No matter how
much is spent on the after care of
building, if the foundation is not
laid strong and true, the building
will crack and crumble and its use
fulness be destroyed long before its
time
Two months ago, Miss Cobb, re-
alizing the Importance of child be-
ing brought up to standard weight,
instituted the practice of monthly
weighing of the children of her
school. Scales were secured for this
use and each child was carefully
measured and weighed.
Out of the 555 children, it was
found that 408 were underweight, At
overweight, and only 100 normal. I"
each case where the child was as
much as 7 per cent underweight, a
notice to that effect was sent to the
parent, and in addition, the teacher
was asked to talk to the parent and
explain the work which the school
was trying to carry on and the rea.
sons for this work.
The response from the children
has been splendid. The proper nour.
ishment for their bodies has been
presented to them in such an attrac.
tive manner both by the faculty OF
the schools and the methods employ
ed by the Modern Health Crusade
movement, that the realize it as en-.
tirely dependent upon them for the
physical perfection of the American
race for future generations. They
have been taught through the teach.
ers the simple ways in which they
themselves can help to bring up then
weights, and they look forward with
eager interest. to the monthly weigh
ings as a competitive game. This
teachers are doing their part, ably
aided by the children.
But, while there has been a splen
did cooperation on the part of the
mothers in the majority of cases
there is reported a discouraeing in
difference. At a meeting held at
tha n, oY,;c,,e IJiub cobOoI MopJo q