CORRECT DIET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 6

CORRECT DIET

ITS RELATION TO HEALTH.

HOME SCIENCE TEACHERS’ WORK

ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR STRONG

“I must extend my heartiest congratulations to the women of Mid-Can-terbury who have been responsible tor this excellent Achievement Day display,” said Professor A. G. Strong, 0.8.Ei., Dean of the Homo Science School, University of Otago, when speaking at the opening of the exhibition of work arranged by members of Women’s Divsions of the Farmeis Union and the Women’s Institutes today. , . This was the first function of its kind in Now Zealand, and was indeed an Achievement Day, something to lie really proud of. It was extremely pleasing indeed to see that tiic Institutes and Divisions had combined foi the exhibition. It was far better it these two organisations worked in combination than separately, and it was a

good thing that the work of the A.C.E. should bring them together. Professor Strong made reference to the Plunket Society which, founded by Sir Truby King, was now suclj an important organisation in New Zealand. As Institutes and Divisions worked together, it would be well if Universities would also co-operate. Here again the A.C.E. was about the first to achieve the privilege of working from two centres. Miss MacMillan, the organiser of the movement, represented both the Canterbury and Otago Universities.

Professor Strong paid' a tribute to the work of the tutors. “We have been together so long now that we are all like one happy family.” They all seemed to be good specimens, too, she added.

“Perhaps you sometimes wonder what science is—well it takes in so many tilings that it is rather a bit of a jumble.” The subject matter, however, was food, shelter, and clothing taken from an economic, scientific, and

aesthetic point of view. There was the physiological aspect, too. But underlying it all was the fundamental idea of “home.” “This,” said Professor Strong, “is the most important thing in the world.” If only all homes were run as they should be many of the difficulties in the world to-day would not exist; Going to the root of the matter it was one of the causes of war. “1 believe that war begins in the nursery.” Diet to Prevent Illness, Tire teachers of home science were trying to make New l Zealand the finest country in the world—a country of happy healthy and prosperous citizens. There was in England at present a campaign called the “Physical Fitness Campaign,” which was being conducted to reduce the mount of sickness. It was hoped to reduce the number of beds in.the hospitals by 50 per cent. “Do you realise how much we are spending on cure?” Millions of pounds were expended every year in this direc-tion-hospitals all over the world wpre wanting money. “Isn’t it far better for us to prevent this illness?” This could be done by the correct diet from

infancy and early childhood. There would be a far less number of hospital cases if the body was properly built with the right food. The child had little chance of growing properly if one necessary element was left out of its diet. That was why the work by the; home science teachers was so important, and why the display to-day of work done along the correct lines was so commendable. Professor Strong referred to the different tribes of natives in India, where she had spent some of her time. Some of them were tall and others short, they had different dispositions and appearances. A great deal of the differences in stature and disposition was due to the diets of the natives. The word “diet” was unpopular—it suggested something that didn’t taste too good, but that could be avoided. There was an aesthetic side of it, and that was very important. One woman could turn out a perfectly good, but wholly uninteresting meal, while another using the same ingredients would make a. “symphony” of it. Nutrition education should be given to boys as well as girls, held Professor Strong. It was hoped to establish another hostel next year for the carrying on of the good work. “The trouble at present is that we have not enough teachers. If we had sufficient numbers of tutors throughout the whole (Dominion I feel sure a great deal of commendable work could be done.” A short address was also given by Miss Crowe, of Dunedin, an A.C.E. tutor, who spoke on home science work in America, where she resided lor a time. * Other speakers were Mesdames 4. Johnson and F. Curtis, Miss N. MacMillan, and Mr Stanley Smith. Items were given as follows: —Songs by Mrs A. Robertson and Miss Merle Brown; sketch, Mesdames Chapman and Li 11.