Milford chronicle., 1939-02-17
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Food YOu Eat Greatly
Affects Your Appearance
BY CHARLOTTE SPENCER
Nutritionist for the State Board
of Health.

The right kind Of food for the adol-
es cent boy or girl is as important Ia
their future health as is the right
kind OF food to baby. Every mother
is Immensely concerned about feed
ing a little baby and she usually real
ICES the need for expert advice about
supplementary foods, weaving, and
formulas. The rapid growth during
the first year of life demands ma
terial with which to grow. The rapid
growth of an adOlescing boy or girl
makes an equally important demand
/ for the material with which to build
men and women.
The fourteen-yearo boy will eat
more than his father. This is be-
cause he uses more energy. Even at
rest young bodies use more energy
than older ones. Added to that the
activities of an adolescent are much
more strenuous than those oil an
adult
Besides a need for more energy
from food. rapid growth increases
the demand for minerals. Think of
the amount of bone required 10 sup
port an added foot in height, With
cut minerals Il bone is soft like the
carthage in meat We can't expect
any boy To play football or any girl
to stand erect and walk gracefully.
if they are not adding something
more substantial than cartilage along
with increases in height.
Good prOteins are essential to good
muscle formation. The best quality
Protcins are found in eggs, milk.
cheese and meat. The protein re-
quirement Of rapidly growing boy
or girl can be met only by the daily
use uf such quantities as one quart
OF milk. l-2 pound OF meat and two
eggs. Cheese may be used to re-
place some of the milk or meat.
have been very much interested
in the reaction OF all of us to this
problem OF feeling the junior high
and high school hoy and girl. Far
from realizing the increased strain
due to rapid growth at this period,
We seem to feel that the high school
boy aud girl have become immune
tC the effects of poor feeding. II
school superintendent invites some
one to talk about nutrition at
dhllti > AAAtNAAAiE u - NNoNDAtAtAiy ACA
the talk to be given only to the grade
teachers. 1t is not only the school
teachers who ignore the food needs
of the adolescent. All of us have
directed so much Of our attention
toward feeding the younger child
that we have tended to forget the
equally important needs Of his older
brother or sister.
AdOlescents are no longer chill
dren wonder if this has not been
one reason for our lack Of attention.
We seem to feel that adolescents are
hard to discipline and supervision OF
their food is too difficult 4 task to be
undertaken. II a person has been
forming good habits of eating from
babyhOOd up through childhood. the
food in adolescence will probably
take care of itself The habit of eat
ing the protective foods is already
established and increased appetite
will take care of the increased need
for good quality material
However. the problem of the adOl
escent who has not already formed
good habits of eating is not simple.
Left TO himself he will only increase
the kind of food which he is already
eating. Increased amounts of poor
quality food will not take care Of the
increased demand for good material
An excess of candy desserts and
coca-cola will do little to meet the .
food requirements of accelerated .
growth. /
The technique Of educating the
high school boy or girl TO a good
diet lies in appealing to their reason .
and placing the responsibility direct
ly on them. A high school girl is old
enough to wish for normal weight.
ability in sports. good complexion
and that charm and beauty which
come from bOuyant health \ high
school boy knows that good food is
a part of every college training table.
Men also want 10 be good looking.
even if in a different way from wO-
men.
Good feeding during these import
ant years of rapid growth will re-
suit in an increased ability 10 main
tain health throughout life.