The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-01
Cafe Hygie1lists
By H. ADDINGroN BRUCE

It is capital idea of the United Restau- rant Owners Association to help conserve their patrons health by providing them with suggestions for well-balanced diets.
 Undoubtedly much illness is due primarily to ignorance of dietetic laws and require ments. Not only do large numbers of peo- pie eat a great deal more than is good for them, but just as many, though eating in moderation, seriously hurt themselves by un- wise choice of foods.
 The favorite diet of multitudes, for ex- ample, idet in which meats, bread, pota- toes and sweet predominate, makes directly for both obesity and malnutrition. It makes for the former through over-indulgence in starchy foods, and for the latter through minimum consumption of foods suen as milk, fresh fruits and green vegetables containing minerals, yitamins and other nutrition essen tials.
 And happily, as medical science now has established, obesity and malnutrition predis- pose to serious diseases. The obese are De- culairly liable to suffer from heart disease and diabetes, they are notoriously poor sur gical risks, and they are handicapped if at- tackled by pneumonia and sundry other in fectious diseases. Whether obese or thin, the ymal-noufished always have d lowered resistivity to disease of any kind. .ea
 Consequently the proyerbial saying that myriads dig their graves with their teeth rests on solid basis of fact. In so far as the United Restaurant Owners Association promote popular education in matters of diet they will render an important public service
 Though, to be sure, in order to make this service productive of the best possible re- suits there are other things they can and should do. In the friendliest spirit possible would remind them that restaurant hygiene inynlVaa rnurh mora than arafu1 diaForv lection.
 It will profit man little to be helped to schoose a well balanced diet if the foods in that diet are served to him poorly cooked, too highly seasoned, or otherwise improperly prepared. And while things are much bet ter than they used to be, there still are res. taurants where digestion and nutrition suf- fer grievously by reason of shortcomings in the culinary department.
 Unhygienic likewise is the practice, not wholly unknown even in restaurants and hotel dining-rooms of the costlier sort, of set ting tables with linen, silverware and dishes that have not been as well washed as they might have been.
 This practice, besides exposing patrons to the risk of infection by some disease-germ, has the further drawback of lessening their ap- petite and disturbing their peace of mind. Again the sequel is Impaired digestion and nutrition, no matter how admirably balanced the diet provided may be.
 So, too. the employing of sullen, evil-tem- pered walters, may more than offset a eau tious balancing of diet As may the employ ing of careless and possibly diseaselaien cooks and walters, in the absence of any system of personal hygiene and medical in spection. -
 Thus, as restaurant hygienists, the United Restaurant Owners Association have more than one problem with which to deal. That they will deal with all their hygiene prob Iems successfully is a contamination to be greatly wished, especially in this age of steadily increasing trend away from home dining table and toward the tables of restau- rants and hotels.