Evening star., 1951-03-16
Study Shows Less Food
Needed by Humon Body
Nutrition Foundation Cites
New Facts on Energy Diet
By Thomos R. Henry

Mankind, as whole. probably needs
less fuel for the fires of life than has
been estimated in the past.
This Is stressed in report just issued
by the Nutrition Foundation.
The energy requirements of the human
body which must be obtained from food,
regardless of everything else needed,
usually are figured in calories, or
amounts of heat produced by various
articles of the diet. This originally was
calculated for horses
The last war, however. brought about
considerable revision, so far as human
beings were concerned In England,
for example, 1t was necessary to cut the
caloric content of food to minimum
while the work requirements increased.
The result was an actual improvement in
health. The same was true, in general,
Of other war countries where there was
not actual starvation.
Reason for Revision.
Need for a more realistic picture Of
mans true requirements in this respect.
the Nutrition Foundation stresses, is
augmented by the rapidly increasing
population of most parts of the world,
together with a generally decreasing
The uncertainty as to the absolute
levels of calorie requirements, the report
says. is illustrated by the fact that the
daily calorie allowances recommended by
the National Research Council early in
the war recently have been revised. The
amounts allowed for sedentary men, for
example, have been cut from $500 to
2.400 calories and for sedentary women
from 2,100 to 1000 calories. The old
tables recommended 5000 calories for
moderately active men and $500 calories
for very active men. These figures have
been retained, but the categories have
been upgraded to physically active" and
doing heavy work." respectively.
These downward revisions," saws the
report. "are in harmony with the experi-
ence Of life insurance companies and
the data provided by dietary surveys.
Overweight, resulting from prolonged
surplus intake of calories, has been
shown to be associated with increased
mortality. Moderate caloric reductions
below the accepted requirements, such
as were instituted in Switzerland during
the last war, were associated with a
favorable health record. The experience
OF Great Britain was similar. Several
uals who were not clinically underfed
showed lower levels than the recom-
mended intakes.
Body Size a Factor.
"Fallure to take into account factors
such as body size which modify the
calorlc needs leads easily to erroneous
conclusions. This may be illustrated by
nutrition survey of the Otomi Indians.
Ihe estimated daily average intake was
1854 calories. This would seem grossly
inadequate if compared with the time
honored figure of 5000 calories.
II it is taken into account, however.
that the value of 5000 was adopted by
the National Research Council for phys
icaliy active men weighing 10 Kilograms
whereas the Otomis averaged only Sc
kilograms, the caloric deficiency is no
longer present"
Much agricultural planning, especially
for backward countries, it is stressed. is
based on providing the populations with
enough calories. This may be modified
greatly by some Of the new findings.
More soil and effort will be left for
production of other food requirements.
such as proteins.
Recent surveys have shown that the
net available food supply of the world
per person has decreased since the war,
1nere have been actual increases in
calorles and proteins ranging from about
l TO per cent. During 1938-48, however.
the worlds population, despite the war.
rose more than per cent The picture
mas been much the same since.