"AMONG WORST."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 124, 27 May 1936, Page 12

" AMONG WORST."

I DIET OF DOMINION. OPINIONS IN AUCKLAND. EATING "WRONG FOODS. The diet of New Zealand people is among the worst of the civilised countries of the world, according to one medical opinion obtained in Auckland this morning. It had been shown, it was stated, that certain diets brought about a condition of chronic ill-health. New Zealand studies indicated that generally the people here ate, not too little, but the \yrong kind of food. It was shown in the bad teeth of the children, and in other ways. For instance, there were indications that diabetes was increasing. Other physicians, who have made a study of dietetic conditions amongst 6chool children, while holding that generally New Zealand conditions were better than most places in the, world in that the people had enough (and frequently too much) to eat, agreed that amongst all classes of the community the wrong kinds of food were popular, leading to many defects in the physique of the people. "There can be no argument that far too much sugar and starchy foods are consumed in New Zealand," said Dr. Lawrence Ludbrook, who, as a children's specialist, has made investigation jnto the subject. Owing to the high economic status of New Zealand, he said, it was possible for people to purchase large quantities of sugar and sweets, and their consumption encouraged the excessive eating of cakes, biscuits and other starchy foods. Value of Lime Salts. This gave rise to digestive defects, and had the effect also of denuding the body of lime salts. This in turn led to decay of the teeth and the bones generally. Investigations made amongst school children revealed a proportion of | deformity in bone structure tliat indi- , | cated a mild degree of rickets in earlier childhood. It was recognised that the . general condition of teeth in New Zea11 land was worse than in Great Britain, , I but throughout the world it was a growing danger, owing to this lack of lime salts. 1 The chief lack in the diet of New Zealand was the consumption of milk. His investigations amongst a selection of ' children had revealed the low average coul sumption of about Goz of milk a day. ' It should be at least four times that amount. Often, he said, when it was I pointed out that too much starchy food was bad, the Scots' race was referred to . as one that had pained a reputation for [ hardiness, yet lived largely on oatmeal ! and other starchy foods. The reason was that a great deal of milk was drunk I with it, and that acted as a protective L agent. x "Of course there is a terrific amount ■ of 'guff' talked about diet," said Dr. Ludbrook, "and. there are all sorts of ( dietetic 'quacks'." i What was required was a proper . knowledge among housewives and those ; catering for the food needs of the people of nutritive values. No intensive training was necessary. The local division 1 of the B.M.A. had for some years en-j 1 deavoured to increase this knowledge of , the right foods to ea,t by means of j ' public lectures and radio talks, but the « | difficulty was to get that knowledge I h into the homes of the people. Dr. Lud- J brook agreed that the establishment of a nutritian clinic in eacy city of New Zealand would be a good thing, if the people could be educated to go to it for ' advice. Some such scheme could be put into operation under a National Healtn I scheme. Low Averages. The view that the general diet of New 1 Zealand was one of the poorest in the > civilised world was offered by a dietitian, * Dr. Violet Hastings, who has written several pamphlets on the subject. There were two food groups, she said, one of them being known as the protective group. This included milk, cheese and other milk products, and green-leafv vegetables, which acted protectively in offsetting the harmful qualities of the other group. New Zealand's position in regard to diet could be gauged from the fact that our milk consumption was one of the lowest averages in the world, and that our consumption of green-leaf vegetables and fruit was not high. Our consumption of sugar was about as high as the average of America, and there it was estimated that a quarter of the fuel value of the food eaten was made up of sugar, which acted as a dilutent to the other minerals and vitamins, lowering the value of the whole diet. In New -Zealand there were all the foods necessary to a .well-bal-anced diet, and there was no reason why there should be a deficiency.. Regarding the drinking of* tea and other liquids with meals, none of the doctors interviewed held that there was any especial harm done. It was not an important matter, they said. When it • was considered that eight cups of medium strength tea contained five grains of caffein, however, it would be recognised that the drinking of large quantities of tea could not be beneficial. Five grains was a full medical dose of the drug—and doctors did not recommend the daily use of full medical doses of any drug. Need for Revision. To this extent the doctors interviewed agreed that the diet of the Dominion was in need of revision. They would not support the allegations of Dr. Ulric Williams, of Wanganui, against particular institutions, but Dr. Hastings added (apropos of the answers to that charge) that no diet could be said to be satisfactory unless it was worked out and tested by competent dietitians. She quoted a case of a large school in England where it was found that the boys were lacking in energy, etc., without obvious reason. It was found after investigation that they were suffering from incipient scurvy due to lack of fruit and green vegetables. Again, it was difficult for a nurse, after only a few months' training, to undertake the entire dietary work of a large hospital satisfactorily. In the United States : there . would be upwards . of 10 or 12 dietitians on the staff of a large hospital—each of tliem with degrees in nutrition following a five years' course at a university, and a year's practical work.