Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-29
Policy on Nutrition
To Build Stronger
America Adopted
Conference Hopes to
Lift Physical and
Mental Fitness Of All
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

By THOMAS r.. HENRY.
With calls from Mrs. Roosevelt
and Surg. Gen. Parran for action to
raise the physical and mental STAN
ina of America to meet the emer-
sency facing the Nation the Ma
tional Nutrition Conference for De-
tense ended yesterday afternoon
with a declaration of principles and
n program of service which will be
carried to every crossroads in the
country.
I'VE have the power" declared Dr.
Parran, Ito raise here in America a
nation of people more fit, more Wig
orous, more competent, a nation
with better morale, a more united
purpose, more toughness of body
and greater strength of mind than
the world has ever known.
This can be accomplished only by
putting to work all the scientific
knowledge we have for the nutrition
of all our people.
Postwar Strength Needed.
Food" he continued, will build
a new America. After this war, when
cities and civilization lie in ruins
and the democratic impulse in mems
hearts toward human brotherhood
is smothered with hate, all the
strength and courage that America
can muster will be needed for re-
building shattered world. We
Americans must be conscious OF our
destiny. for America is the last hope
of the world"
The Nation, Mrs. Roosevelt said,
learned the value of proper nutrl-
ton during the last war, but quickly
forgot about it when peace was re-
stored.
Now. she declared, the lesson, bull
warked by far more exact knoWl-
edge, must be driven home so 1t
will not be forgotten as soon as the
emergency is passed.
Il don't doubt" she added, that
In Germany today more attention
is drawn to the fact that we have
acknowledged a great number of I'M
dernourished in this country and
have decided to do something about
1t than to the sinking of the Bis
marck."
Declaration of Policy.
The following declaration of policy
was adopted by the conference:
I. The great and sometimes star
ting advances in our knowledge of
nutrition in recent years have made
it clear that the food an individ-
ual eats fundamentally affects his
health, strength, stamina, nervous
condition, morale and mental func-
tioning. In view of these proven
facts it is vital for the United States
to make immediate and full use of
the newer knowledge of nutrition in
the present national emergency.
II. The newer knowledge of nutri-
ton should be used not only for the
benefit of our armed forces, who
must, of course, be adequately fed,
but for that of all workers in indus
tries directly and indirectly related
to defense and also for the civilian
population as a whole.
Undernourishment Revealed.
III. Recent dietary studies among
large representative samples of the
people of the United States, clinical
studies among smaller groups and
the examination of men called up
for military service show clearly
that poor diets and undernourish-
ment are widespread in this country.
The conditions revealed corroborate
the scientific findings of the newer
knowledge of nutrition. While these
conditions offer no ground for alarm
list statements, they are serious
enough to be a genuine cause of
weakness in the present national
attention and concerted action.
". Few problems in the field of
public health are simple, and that
of undernourishment is particu-
larly complex 1t has not only
medical but social, economic and
psychological aspects, and to at
tack it on a national scale will re-
quire particularly widespread and
wholehearted cooperation on the
part of all elements in our popula-
ton. The conference urges the
following lines of attack as particu-
larly important:
l. The use of the recommended
allowances of Galleries, protein and
certain important minerals and
vitamins, prepared by the Commit
tee on Food and Nutrition of the
National Research Council, both as
the general goal for good nutrition
in the United States and as the
yardstick by which to measure
progress toward that goal.
Practical Application Seen.
2. Translation of these allow
ences and other similar technical
material into terms of everyday
foods and appetizing meals suitable
for families and individuals at diff
ferent economic levels in such a
way that the newer knowledge of
nutrition can be applied simply
and practically in every home and
in accordance with the food prefer
ences of the family.
3. Vigorous and continued re-
search to aid our present knowledge
of the nutritional needs of individ-
uals, the nutritional status of groups
In the population, the nutritive con-
tent of everyday foods and the
effects of various methods of proc
essing, storing and cooking on their
nutritive value.
4. More widespread education of
doctors, dentists, social service
workers, teachers and other profess
sional workers in the newer knowl-
edge of nutrition.
5. The mobilization of every edu-
eational method to spread the newer
knowledge of nutrition among lay
men by means of schools, motion
pictures. the radio, the public press,
home and community demonstra-
tons and all other suitable means.
6. Mobilization of all neighbour