Evening star., 1952-10-27
Britons Found CuIories
Essential in Rutionino
Energy Food More Important
Thun Proteins, Report Says
BY Thomas R. Henry

Folks will starve rather than eat stuff
they don't like.
When Malta was close to starvation
during one phase Of World War II. people
threw dried eggs into the streets rather
than eat them.
Rice-eating HinduS, during the great
famine, died rather than touch the
millet brought them for relief. British
troops in Burma went hungry rather
than eat American K rations.
This was a major difficulty of British
rationing during the war, it is revealed
by the late Sir Jack Drummond, scien-
tific adviser to the Ministry of Foods.
in a report on nutritional problems Of
civil defense just published by the
United States Public Health Service. In
this report he sums up his own war
time experience in trying to keep a
country contented and efficient when
rather strict food rationing was
necessary
Galleries More Essential.
Plans for wartime rationing usually
devote a lot Of attention to proteins.
vitamins, etc. This is all very we'll.
the British adviser says. but the really
essential thing is plenty Of plain. old
fashioned calories-the starches, sugars
and the like which provide body heat
and energy. If these are provided, he
says, experience in England and in
France, Belgium and Holland Is that
the other diet essentials will take care Of
themselves. There may be delayed bad
effect on national health, but this is not
apparent during the emergency period.
Time and time again during the war
years." the report says, "there were
striking illustrations of the harmful ef-
fects Of calorie deficiency on working
capacity, physical condition and morale.
BY contrast examples of i'll health
caused by protein deficiency or shortage
of vitaminS were distinguished by their
rarity.
Energy Deficiency Most Marked.
zone deep impression made by expert
ence during the war Is that deficiency Of
energy is vastly more important than
any Of these other shortages. They af-
feet morale surprisingly quickly. Dis
content, grumbling and irritability are
characteristic signs associated with a
reduction in calorie intake of the order
of 20 per cent, particularly when it
affects those engaged in physical work.
The loss of weight related closely to the
negative calorie balance is of less i'm
portance than the disturbance of mental
balance.
"As the food supply is reduced below
what is required to provide 1000 calories
per head per day, there are two clearly
marked levels which can be called
critical. The first can be placed at
about 1000 calories.
Down to this point it is not difficult
to devise rationing systems which will
enable all groups Of the population to
get along tolerably we'll for a consider
able time. The output of work will not
be optimal and there will be other signs
Of energy deficiency, but in general the
picture will not be disturbing.
1,5O0 is Danger Level.
Below this level the talk of allotting
the available food will become more and
more discouraging until level of about
$500 calories is reached at which point
it is quite impractical to do more than
plan for survival unless part of the
population is subjected to deliberate
starvation in order to enable the re-
mainder to work. This was done in
Leningrad during the SIEGE"
The picture indicated was borne out
in the towns Of Europe after the liberia
ton, Sir Jack points out. There had
been widespread reports Of starvation
under German occupation. Actually.
the deficiency found was one Of calorieS
alone. The people, by hook or crook,
had gotten enough proteins and vita
mirs-largely from vegetables.