Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-28
FITCH TELLS
HOW TO GUAGE
FOOD VALUES
Method of Measuring Galleries
or Heat Units Ex-
planned.
DONE IN LABORATORY

NEW YORK, April 2S-Large people
need more food than smaller ones, ac-
cordinE TO Dr. William F. Fitch, late
major Medical Corps. T. S. A.. who is
an expert on the subject Of food and
food values, vitamine.' and such ike de-
tails connected with that king of indoor
Hport-eating- DR.. Fitch, who has writ
ten a book called "Dietotherapy,' re
Gently delivered a lecture on the subject
of food values before the Women's League
of New York City, in the course OF
which he undertook to give a general
outline OF the food requirements Of the
body In health, at different times, and
for different individuals
No hard and fast rules, he pointed out
can be laid down regarding the ex-
act food requirements which shall ep-
ply to all persons, as the personal equa-
ton is always q factor to be reckoned
with. From the standpoint of both kind
and quality, the needs of the organism
in the way Of food depend on many fac
tors.
There is. for instance the size OF the
body, large individuals requiring more
food than smaller ones. The extent OF
the body surface, also. Is a fscto- in
determining the amount of fuel needed,
the radiation Of heat being relatively
large skin surface. The thinner the per
son. according to the lecturer. the great
er the relative skin surface, and hence
tho greater demand for food.
Besides the persons size and area Of
body surface, other factors influence the
amount Of food required to keep the in
dividuaI in a normal state of health and
bodily equilibrium. The conditions Of
rest or work, the kind of work. the sse
the sex, the character as marked by
rest1essneSs Of placiditv. and even in
diyiduaI pec1liarities. all have a bearing
On the subject.
Research workers in food chemistry
have calculated that the standard dietary
for a man at moderately hard work
should be made up Of protein, Is per
cent: fats. IS per cent, and carbohydrates,
66 per cent
The amount OF food required TO supply
The heat expended per kilo (approxi-
uateIy 229 pounds) of body weight by
an adult under various conditions. from
absolute rest TO strenuous work. Dr.
fitch places at all the way from 3 to
. Galleries per hour for sustenance only
during rest in bed and 30 Calories per
hour while doing extra hard work
Situated between these figures are the
number Of calories required for seden-
tary occupations. So per hour; very light
YORK. 40 calories per hour: moderate
work, - calories, and laboriOus work,
90 Galleries per hour
CALORIES
NEEDED.
Dr. Fitch told his audience that expert
ments conducted with a man in a res
piratory caIorimeter gave the following
estimates of the average rates of meta
tons OF activity: man sleeping re-
quires 65 calories per hour, sitting at
rest 100 calories per hour, doing light
exercise. 10: active exercise. $50, and
severe exercise, 800 calories.
Assuming that the man sleeps eight
hours, requiring IS Galleries each, he re
quires during his sleeping hours go
, calories; estimated six hours Of the day
sitting st rest at 100 calOries gives GOO;
light exercise for two hours, at 170.
equals $40 calortes. and active exercise
eight hours at go calories an hour. 1926
Galleries, the total Of food required by
him per day being $3.50 calories.
The figures must be calculated differ
emily for different Occupa tions and to
cover different walks Of life But here
are a few assembled 70 save time: On
the preceding schedule. a tailor would
require $500 calories; a bOokbinder. p
500; metal worker. 800; painter. 1900;
stone mason, 400: wood sawyer. $500;
= seamstress, sewing by hand, 1,s0o ca
sories; By machine. 2100; general house
hold servants require 1900 calories a day
and the vasherwoman, 1900 Saving
wood tops the list in actual figures. fl
will be noted. with $500 calories offer
ing an obvious explanation. said the doc.
TOR for the reluctance Of hungry Weary
WflIies~ Ia indulge in too much Of this
strenuous pastime before supper time.
An average ration Of about 5000
calories. divided into its proper per
ceDts ges would equal 16 per cent. 80
grams protein; IS per cent, 81 grams
fat: &c per cent. 100 grams carbohy-
drates.
AL food possesses potential or latent
energy which, with combustion. becomes
kfnetic or actual energy. When oxidized
IN the body. this energy is converted
into heat and muscular power This
energy derived from foods represents the
heat or fuel value and II is. therefore,
usually expressed IN terms OF heat or
calories.
IMPROVING
On NATURE
In the remote past. natures scheme
for feeding man may not have contem
plated the accurate measuring of his
food beyond the point of providing him
with healthy. normal instincts But. at
the present time, food requirements have
become a matter Of accurate estimation
rather than animal intuition, said the
doctor Cndernutrition can be demon
strated by direct dieting Investigations.
the increased demands for food fuel for
the working man, as well the relative
abundance OF the ration for the infant
at different stsges of growth are no
longer matters Of mystery.
The last two decades" said DR..
Fitch, have witnessed the development
OF scientific methods rendered possible
nv relatively accurate investigation per
tanning to the full value of foodstufs
It has been shown that the transforma-
tons in chemical energy into heat and
, work in the animal body take place &C
CordinE 10 the same general laws and
with the same equivalences as in arti
fetal motors and in lifeless matter gen
orally.
The great law Of the conservation Of
energy rules in the animal mechanism
whether in man, carnivora, berbivora or
frug1vora, Just as in the engine. All
that the animal gives out it gets from
its food and all that is supplied in Its
food is sooner or later recovered in some
form We are freely justified. therefore
in speaking Of the food as body fuel
and in our studies of its utilization we
may be confident that any food energy
which does not reappear in the form OF
work has not been lost, but has been
stored up in the body as the chemical
energy metabolized from the foods in
gested and which viii later serve to sup