Evening star., 1942-05-26
Nutrition Program
Discussed by -Four
Speakers in Forum
DR.. Purron, DR.. Stanley,
Wilson and DR.. SebreII
Tell Government Plans

Tell Government Plans
A panel discussion of the Govern
ment's achievements and plans in
the field of nutrition was given last
night over the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Star and
broadcast over WMAL and a Ma
tionwide hookup of the Blue Net
work. The leaders who spoke were
DR.. Thomas Parran, Surgeon Gen.
eral of the Public Health Service;
DR.. Louise Stanley, chief of the Bu-
reau Of Home Economics; M. L.
Wilson, assistant director in charge
OF nutrition, defense health and
welfare services, and DR.. William H.
Sebrell, deputy assistant director of
the bureau.
The occasion was the first ami
versary of the National Nutrition
Conference, called by Paul v. Nc
Mutt, Federal security administrator,
and the National Nutritional Ad-
visory Committee at the request of
President Roosevelt.
Mr.. Wilson said the conference
simulated great interest, among
all the people of the United States,
on the subject of better food"
Cooperative Enterprise.
For another thing" DR.. Sebrell
pointed out, "all the people who had
been working on good nutrition for
30 many years joined together in a
cooperative enterprise"
DR.. Stanley added: And this
really does mean all the people
homemakers, teachers, nutrition
workers, doctors. And the food in
dustry pitched in-producers. dis
trloutors and advertisers. For ex-
ample, the millers and bakers made
tnelr contribution by enrichinp
bread and flour"
All groups interested In better
nutrition" DR.. Parran agreed. "have
oanded together to reach a common
goal"
Mr.. Wilson said nutrition COM
m1ttees had been formed In the 48
States. the District Of Columbia.
Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Out of
the SOTO counties in the United
States, he added, four-fiftns had
organized such committees. There
are, IN addition, many local COM
m1tteeS in towns and communities,
he explained.
Facts Obtained in Many Ways.
Asked by DR.. Parran how these
committees obtained the latest facts
about nutrition, DR.. Stanley replied:
In various ways. One of the most
effective is through Government
bulletins, leaflets, posters and such
publications as the Consumers
Guide. In many farm areas there
are groups of trained workers.
county home demonstration agents,
Farm Security workers and home
economics teachers, and also trained
women in their own homes who
have joined in the movement to
show other women better ways of
feeding their families"
DR.. Stanley pointed out that in
the cities the work was done by
public health and welfare workers,
Red Cross representatives, nutri-
tionists, doctors and nurses and the
schools. Nutrition is taught in reg
ular classes and through hot school
lunches, she said, adding that dur
ing the last year more than 100000
children were given lunches every
day.
"And you should read the health
reports on these children" DR..
Parran interposed. For instance,
in the Middle West we made a survey
of 20 schools which did not have
the free lunch system. Hot lunches
were then installed in 10 Of those
schools, and there was 13 per cent
decrease in amount Of sickness and
number of days the children were
absent from school. At the same
time, there was practically no change
in the 10 schools which did not
install the free lunch system"
Food Stamp Plan Praised.
"We hear reports like that all
the time" said DR.. Sebrell, and he
asked whether the Agricultural
Marketing Administration, Depart
ment of Agriculture, did not come
into the picture.
Mr.. Wilson replied that the ad-
ministration had several food dis
tribution plans for people of low
income.
Education alone isn't enough"
Mr.. Wilson said. Many low-income
families can't buy the food they
need. In the month of February
100000 people received food through
the A. M. A., about half of them
through the food stamp plan"
The Public Health Service" DR..
Parran observed, gets good reports
from communities where the food
stamp plan is In effect. There is
less illness in those communities and
better work. That brings us to in
dustry. What is being done to
assure war workers the right kind
of food?"
Industry" Mr.. Wilson replied,
"is doing fine job in helping carry
out suggestions made at the Nutri-
tion Conference. And in their ad-
vertising they are carrying out the
nutrition message, including the
symbol and slogan, u. S. Needs Us
Strong-Eat Nutritional Food"
DR.. Stanley commented that, while
war plants are built in a hurry, "the
workers must have adequate food"
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