Evening star., 1941-11-04
j. :. Diet Not Best
In World , Nutrition
Expert Declares
Porent-Teucher MEETING
Hears Health Official
Explode Food Concepts

A Federal nutrition expert today
exploded few generally held food
concepts before about 200 mothers
and teachers attending the Fifth
Annual Parent-Teachers' Institute
at George Washington University.
DR.. w. H. Sebrell of the National
Institute of Health of the United
States Public Health Service told
the group:
The United States is not the best
fed country in the world and has
every food deficiency disease known
to science.
Being overweight is as much a
symptom of malnutrition as being
underweight.
Reducing diets providing stipu-
lated calory totals over Today
period are not always nutritious.
Vitamin pills are not the answer
to balanced diet.
The fact that one-third of the
Nations population is considered
lacking in adequate diet according
to scientific standards, DR.. Sebrell
said, does not mean that all persons
IN that group have deficiency dis
eases. but it does mean that over
period of time the individual will
function less efficiently.
Food Can Be Cheap Gestapo."
AS matter of fact, he continued,
food supply cleverly directed and
controlled can act as a cheap Ges-
tapo' by reducing power of people
to resist.
The speaker stressed the need for
teaching of good food habits in the
schools, using the school lunch pro-
gram as good point of attack.
Every school child should not only
receive balanced diet but should
understand why it is necessary, so
that in high school the student will
insist on bottle of milk instead of
taking a cup of coffee"
After hearing DR.. Sebrell, the in
stitute, sponsored jointly by the uni
versity and the District Congress of
Parents and Teachers, broke up into
four discussion groups on nutritional
subjects.
Recommendations for the i'm
provements Of nutrition in the pub
lie schools were made at one con-
ference by Mrs. Ola Day Rush, head
OF the department of home eco
nomics in the white divisions of the
public schools. She recommended
the establishment of a health and
nutrition council in each school, and
careful selection of an experienced
cafeteria manager for the. school
cafeteria. The school, she said.
should be responsible for one-third
Of the daily diet of the child.
Food Stamp Plan Discussed.
At another conference James D.
lie Cron, assistant administration of
surplus commodities for the Agri-
culture Department, outlined some
OF the methods employed to feed
undernourished low-income groups.
He cited the food stamp plan,
which has twice been proposed in
the District budget but is not yet
operating here; the school lunch
program which is now covering
about 10000 District school children
and small local programs to in
crease consumption of milk.
The food stamp program. he said,
operates in about SIS per cent of the
country's territorial areas at a cost
Of about 100000 900 q month. For
about $40 900 900, he said, the plan
could operate throughout the coun-
try.
After a luncheon the group re-
turned to discussion of nutrition
and heard summaries of the morn
Ing conferences.
The institute will conclude to-
morrow with a series of addresses
by members of the university fac
ulty and other educators.
DIR. Holmes to Speak.
Principal speaker tomorrow will
be Dr.. Chester w. Holmes. assistant
superintendent of District schools.
He plans to speak on what the
School Expects of the Home
Also scheduled for talks are DR..
James H. Fox, dean of George
Washington School of Education,
who will discuss Educational Re-
sponsibilities of Parents; DR.. Sid
ney E. Hall, university professor of
education, Parent Education in
Relation to Current National Prob
lens; Ray Everett, executive Sec
retary of the Social Hygiene Society,
why Social Hygiene is Vital to
Parents" and Mrs. Frances Simsa-
rian of National Park Seminary,
Parent Aids and Social Hygiene
Problems"