The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1953-09-22
Babson Discusses
Diets and Business

New Boston. N. H-Someone
has said that we are what we eat.
If this is true. some of the people
I've seen during my lifetime must
have had mighty peculiar diets
Did YOU know that the last dozen
lush years have made the fat man
Americas No. l health problem?
That's what many doctors say.
What has this to do with BUSH
ness2 More than you would guess.
l predict that in the next ten
years Americans will become uni
versally educated to their dietary
needs and that this knowledge
will bring about revolution IN
the food industry
People Are What They Eat
There is nothing new about
the idea that people physically are
what they eat also that diet IN
directly affects their mental and
spiritual powers Way back in the
eighteenth century. Lord Arson
kept a careful record of his
voyage around the world Not only
did his men suffer beyond lmaai-
nation. but they died from scurVy
at the rate of four to xix day.
Once they reached port where
they could get fresh meat and
vegetables, the disease subsidized
and all the sick recovered. Since
Lord Arson s day we have learned
a great deal about food and what
1t does to people One investlga-
ton showed a group of Harvard
students to be an average OF one
and one third inches taller than
their fathers Why? Two main fac
tors. better diet and the reduction
OF childhood diseases.
Studies haze shown that chill
dren from prosperous neighbor-
hoods. because of better diets. are
both healthier and more intelli-
gent than those who are poorly
fed. But there is also plenty of
evidence that people need to be
educated about food and diet. For
example, many persons prefer
deficient white breads TO rich
whole wheat or prefer polished
rice to the unmilled product.
Cows milk with its valuable prop
critics. is viewed with prejudice by
~ n
much the same feeling we have
about eXcretions. In short, food
likes and diSlikeS are often IRA
tionally formed. with little refer
cnce TO food merits We all would
feel better and be more successful
in our business or other work if
we ate fewer starcheS and sweets.
Some INSCRIPTIONS food and
drug manufacturers have capt.
talized on our Whims One morn
ing recently the pleasantness of
my radio was shattered by most
urgent, high pressure, unethical
advertisement 1t ballyhooed a
potion or ointment for those UNI
derweight 1t appealed to skinny
girls and guaranteed TO make
them alluring on the beach in
matter Of days. My druggist tells
me he couldn't move the stuff on
his shelves until it was advertised
on radio and TV Now he can't get
enough Of it. I asked him what
doctors thought of the remedy"
He shook his head in very mega
tive fashion
Diets and Sales
The increasing interest in the
effect of diet upon health is the
result of a steady drive on the
part of doctors, insurance COM
panies, and progressive business
Arrangements. They have armed
themselves with motion pictures, |
weight-control charts. sane radio |
and TV advertising. Company
managementS. anxious to keep
their executives, alive. gladly pass
findings along. The result: pro-
grBsive food distributors, seeing
heavy market in the more than
thirty million dieters. diabetes.
those with apprehension, the over
weight, the underweight, and
those with allergies), have capita
lized on the situation. Some food