Pueblo chieftain., 1921-11-20
By FREDERIC J. HAsK1N

Washington. D. c.. Nov. 17.-WeiEht
as an index to health is at last being
appreciated. While New York Is try
ing to reduce some of its fattest ladies
to pleasant curves. cities in differ
ent parts OF the country are beginning
to take an interest in their too thin
and too fat children.
The fat ladies' reduction class is an
interesting experiment. Nutrition
classes for school children have been
carefully tried out and are found prac-
teal and successful. AS a result they
are attracting wide attention. Not
only are progressive cities installing
these classes in their schools. but the
entire state of New Hampshire has
been organized to fight malnutrition
in its children. DR.. William r. p.
Emerson, expert on child nutrition is
visiting San Francisco, Los Angeles.
and other cities at their request to hold
institutes and explain methods of re-
ducing the large number of cases of
this disease.
That malnutrition is a disease, that
it is an insidious drain on the strength
of many people who are unaware that
they are physically below par, is the
opinion of nutrition specialists. They
have found by tests that about one
third of tho children in the average
school are Z per cent or more UNDER
weight. In other words. many child
rem are not growing at the normal
rate. The result is "a droopy condi-
tion of mind and bouy instead or
alertness.
Nor is our adult population free from
this underweight condition. No or
ganized effort is being made to bring
the adults of city up to normal
weight 1t is interesting to note, how
ever. that at a normal school where
. t,,IA oh n
measured all but seven in class of
200 were underweight per cent or
more.
Another surprising fact. which ex-
periments have shown. Is that malnu-
triton occurs with about equal fire.
quency> In homes of rich and poor.
white and colored, foreign-born and
native stock.
Malnutrition is not, generally, caused
by lack of food on the table. Many a
woman is underweight because she
worries and loses sleep over gracery
bills. just as children have been found
to stop gaining because they worried
over examination marks or uncom-
Portable clothes.
CAUSES OF UNDERwEIGHT
Tho most frequent contributing
causes Of malnutrition are found to
be bad diet. physical defects. bad
habits. and, In children, lack of home
control. Each case Is complex and
each case Is different. With the chill
dren the condition Is attacked by or
ganizing small classes and giving each
member individual instructions as we'll
as the class talks on health. A doctor
and trained nutrition worker preside
over these classes. Each member of
the class Is put into health training"
just as college students train for an
athletic event.
Rochester has stablishcd ss nutri-
ton class.s as an integral part OF the
school system with nutrition workers
and school doctors working under the
department of physical training. Chi
cago has had classes for three years.
Washington Is starting on Its second
year with II demonstration classes.
Experiments made last year convinced
the Washington school officials who
were interested OF the value OF tho
work. The city hopes that Congress
Will soon make it possible for u nu-
triton class to be organized in each
school building. so that every under
weight or overweight child can be edu-
Gated as to the Importance of normal
growth.
The classes in this city. which are
similar to those in other cities, are held
once week in school time. Where
only few tcS classes can bc held.
number of pupils are weighed and
measured and the extreme cases are
selected for the training. Each OF
these children is examined physically,
preferably in the presence OF parents.
Physical defects are noted. Diseased
tonsils. decaying teeth. or adenoids
may be main reason why the child
does not gain. As he cannot hope to
gain normally with any defect which
draws on his strength. the child and
his parents arc urged to cooperate in
having defects removed.
An attempt Is also made to find out
how the child lives at home. and to get
him to change any habits that obvi-
ously keep him from growing. One
child told of reading stories regularly
in bed until after midnight. Another
drank two cups OF coffee with cacn
meal. A girl belonged to half dozen
clubs. each requiring hard work out
side OF school hours for drives and
sales. And n boy alto too little be-
cause he had heard II snid that he
would probably grow up TO be fat like
his father.
VALUE OF REST
With such hindrances removed. the
pupil Is in better condition to begin
training for health. Ono important
rule for the underweight child In
health training is an hour OF rest n
day, preferably at two different times
and before meals IL possible. Food is