White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-10-28
THE UNDERWEIGHT
CHILD PROBLEM

by County Agent E. c. Durdle)
The first problem to take up in the
program for the underweight child is
that of physical perfection, meaning is
the child free to gain. This factor can
only be determined by the examina-
ton of nurse and competent physi-
clan If bad tonsils, teeth or appendix
are found they should be cared tor,
for they will drain pus into the sys-
tenn II It'll the most perfect nutrition
program will fail.
If on the other hand the physical
examination shows nothing materi-
ally VI, ong it then remains to select
the program and stick to it thru thick
and thin until the desired effect is
secured.
Many children have been thin all
their lives. The parentA have been
reasonably careful in the selection of
the childs program, they have had
good food and have kept comparative
ly early hou.s and still they refuse
to gain. Then one day they finish
high school and go away to school,
away to new regime. Letters come
hon e telling about how they are starv-
ed. how: terrible the food is and in
General how much abused they are.
BY and by vacation comes and 10
mother and dad are astonished to see
son or daughter appear in perfect
health and actually fat. 1t can't be
explained under the circumstances
nut there it Isl before your very eyes.
he regular routine of life in dorni
tory is the answer. Sister gets up
when the bell rings or she will miss
breakfast and 10 she doesn't want to
miss breakfast for it is long time till
noon and then the food is not suffi-
ciert to take tile place of both meals
She eats breakfast even tho it is oat-
meal and milk both of which she
loaties and co1sistra+iy refused to eat
at home She cats it because she
is normal healthy young person and
is hungry. At night she is in bed by
certain time or the lights go cut
ad who wants to set up in the dark.
She exercises. regularly and frequently
sleeps out on the porch. She, this
average girl, has limited income,
and can not lunch between times on
candy and other trash. In other
words it is the regularity of life which
does much to bring children up to
weight. 1t can not be done in
haphazard way but must be done re-
gularly day by day.
R's.ng in the morning should be in
sufficient time to permit the follow
ing; unhu, ried dressing, daily bow
ell movement, a good nutritious break
fast and an unhurried journey to
school with not more than Is minutes
to spare on the grounds before school.
Underwe;ght children should have
some small recess lunch consisting
| Of one of the following; glass; OF
milk, a nutritious sandwich or fruit,
fresh or dried.
If close enough to school a home
lunch is best as not milk soup or
other nourishing food can be eaten.
If however it means that the child
must hurry too much the lunch as
given in last weeks paper should be
sent to school because hurrying be-
fore or after meal has very up
setting effect on the digestion.
Immediately after school the child
should have a nourshing lunch, con-
sisting of n milk and IA cream with
bread or a sandwich and this should
be eaten as meal at the table fol-
lowed by rest period of n. an hour.
After this he should play out Of doors
if the weathe,: permits, for an hour
or ul.il dinner. Bed time should be
as regular as the clock. at seven or
1880 and sleep should be either on
sleeping porch or in room with all
POSSIBLE windows open. This routine
if followed day after day will do
much to bring up the weight of child
zen. AS mentioned before it is the
regularity as much as anything else
that counts in the building up of an
underweight child providing of course
that no physical defect is the cause OF
the underwe:ght