Evening star., 1941-01-22
Nationwide Drive
For Balanced DIET
For Civilians Planned
MeNutt Maps Campaign
For Scientific Eating
To Aid Defense Effort

While most of European residents
are on slender rations, the United
States Government may soon en-
bark on national campaign dedi-
Gated to scientific eating as a means
of building up civilians for a de-
fense effort.
Supplies of food in this country
are more than adequate, defense
officials said today. but great stress
will be placed on balancing the diets
of civilians. 1t was pointed out that
there is no plan to limit the amount
of food, nor will there be used such
slogans as were common in the
World War: Don't eat wheat the
price of defeat" or Food will win
the war"
Paul V. MCNutt, social security
administrator, is formulating plans
for campaign as 'co-ordinator of
all health, medical, welfare, nutri-
ton. recreation and other related
fields of activity affecting the ma
tional defense
Aided by Three Committees.
To aid him he has three COM
mittees of scientists now employed
in studies. The National Research
Council, a scientific organization,
has furnished personnel to advise
Mr.. McNutt. One group is supply
ing information on the science OF
nutrition, another is studying Amer
lean food habits and third, headed
by DR.. Russell M. Wilder of the
Mayo Clinic, is co-ordinating gov.
ernmental data on anything per-
tanning to food which will be of
value in the educational campaign.
Our problem is to reach Mrs.
Tom Jones in terms that she can
translate into today's dinner. Milli-
grams and riboflavin naturally do
not mean anything to her DR..
Wilder explained. Other members
of the committee pointed out that
civilians in Europe are undergoing
far greater hardships than soldiers,
who are receiving larger supplies
of food and are generally suffering
less casualties and stress, especially
in England.
A spokesman for the social Sc
curity administrator declared the
plans are being prepared for use
when needed" The need may
arise when the defense operations
become more widespread and there
fore create a greater demand on
civilians for good health and suf-
ficient energy to carry through.
Restaurants Aid Asked.
Miss Harriet Elliott, chief of the
Consumers Division of the Ma
tional Defense Commission, already
has asked restaurant owners to
pay closer attention to balanced
diets in the meals they offer, and
Food Defense Advisory Committee,
made up of restauranteurs and 9TH
ers IN the food industry, has been
appointed and is now cooperating
with the Defense Commission.
During the first month of selective
service, roughly % per cent of the
men drafted were rejected by Army
physicians after they had been eX-
amined and approved for service by
local draft boards. The reflections
have dropped to an estimated 6
per cent, but selective service Of
ficials declared there was not as
yet any statistics to indicate how
many were being found physically
unfit by their local boards before
they are sent to Army surgeons
for a final examination.
One method of aiding in proper
eating was reported today by DR..
Helen S. Mitchell, research profess
sor OF nutrition at Massachusetts
State College and member of one
of Mr.. McNutt's committees.
This is new flour which various
millers have been testing and which
retains more vitamins than found