Evening star., 1924-08-09
RNUTR|T|0N
BASIS OF HEALTH
Association Finds Under
nourishment Serious Prob
lem Among the Poor.
By the Associated Press.

NEW 1ohhs hc ihdLliu-
triton of children in the United States
constitutes a serious health problem,
according to the New York Associa-
tion for Improving the Condition Of
the Poor, which for the last four and
a half years has been testing various
methods of combating this evil. Some
of the facts ascertained from the So
ciety's study are included in state
ment given out here today.
1t is set forth that among 2.181 ap
parently we'll children examined in
the medical clinics of the society.
636. or 80 per cent, were diagnosed
as malnourished. The society is
seeking the most effective methods
of correcting habits of eating or liv-
ing which cause malnutrition, and
has issued monograph entitled
Food for the Family" containing
means of insuring proper nutrition.
Not Due to Insumcient Food.
This condition of malnutrition is
the constant use of improperly chos
en- food or the inability of the body
to make use OF the food eaten be-
cause of insufficient air, rest, sun
shine or physical defects. If these
children were in danger from fire OF
industrial accidents, the report of the
society says, every safety device and
preventive measure known would be
urged to protect them. Although the
effects of malnutrition are much
slower, often much more indirect and
much less dramatic than those from
fire or accidents, they are even more
deplorable because of the larger num-
Der affected and the lingering misery
resulting. The statement says, in part:
Many q wage Garner Is unable to
increase his income to the safety
level because of health conditions
children who apparently show no
signs OF disease or malnutrition are
allowed to drift into the wage-ear
ing period with only part of their
rightful earning capacity developed
"Malnutrition thus concerns more
than the individual or the home in
which it occurs. 1t affects the whole
country by reducing the economic
production of the individual and
thereby increasing the cost of living.
cred vitality in later life is the result
of poor nutrition, as physicians have
frequently stated. the Importance of
providing educational guidance in
nutrition as well as providing at
tention for the correction of physical
defects Is very great"
To ascertain what are the principal
causes of malnutrition, the society
analyzed the condition of 275 families
among those which it's nutrition
bureau is now assisting. OF that
number. 227 families required instruc-
ton in the preparation of the proper
food; 1913 needed assistance in the
planning of meals; 46 families had
to be helped in marketing, because
simple foods, entirely strange to
A1
cial diets had to be planned for 50
families. Only 27 families needed
financial assistance to provide ade-
quate food. Greater economy was
found to be necessary in A families,
while in so families assistance took
the form of helping them to readjust
expenditures.
Indifference. women working and
no one at home to look after the
children; living conditions too con-
and improper ventilation, and mother
Ill, were other problems found to be
responsible for malnutrition.
Guide to Proper Nutrition.
A guide TO proper. nutrition, which
the A. I. c. P. will use in it's efforts to
reduce malnutrition among the tene-
ment districts of this city, includes,
menus, dozen good health rules for
children" which read as follows:
Emphatically do
/. Use milk - fresh, clean, whole
milk for children. Every growing
child should have quart q day, in
some form.
2. Eat plenty Of vegetables.
90 3. Be sure that a school child has
a good luncheon, not candy, pickles
and ice cream cones.
4. Eat coarse food. such as oat-
meal, bran mullins and vegetables. so
that the bowels will not be consti-
pated.
5. Eat slowly and chew food well.
s. Have the meals at the same
hours each day.
Z. Eat only bread, or crackers and
milk or bread and butter between
meals, and only in the middle of the
morning or the afternoon.
8. Wash hands and face before
eating.
.. Drink plenty of water between
meals.
10. Be in bed by o'clock or be-
fore.
IL. Have windows opened in the
sleeping room at night.
IL. Brush the teeth at least once a
day.
Important don'ts-
Do not let the children eat pork or
veal, much meat of any kind, fried
foods, rich pies and cakes. strong
spice and vinegar, green or spoiled
fruit.
Do not let children drink tea, cof-
fee. beer, wine, sodas.
Do not let them eat between meals,
except the things named in No.
above. Do not let them eat candy,
ice cream. cones, nuts, cakes and
cookies between meals.