BRITAIN'S DIET

Evening Star, Issue 25634, 7 November 1945, Page 6

BRITAIN'S DIET

LESS THAN ADEQUATE ILL-EFFECTS OF MALNUTRITION APPARENT LONDON, November 6. ' A London physician, Dr Franklin Bicknell, in a letter which ' The Times ' gives prominence, illustrated how Britain's diet is "less than adequate," and emphasises the ill-effects of prolonged malnutrition. Dr Bicknell says: "The Food Minister, Sir Ben Smith, defending _ the very wise decision not to lower British rations to further help Europe, did not sufficiently emphasise how dangerously under-nourished we ourselves are. Our rations do not provide sufficient fat and animal protein for. us to work efficiently, remain in good health, or maintain resistance against infection." Dr Bicknell recalled that in 1933 the British Medical Association appointed an eminent committee to determine what was the minimum amount of food the unemployed required to maintain "health and working capacity." Tins diet was pared to the bone to spare public funds. Any less diet was considered inadequate because it would be monotonous, nauseous, and repugnant. The minimum amounts of fats and animal protein stated to be essential were nearly double those the present rations provide. "I believe," he said, "our prolonged malnutrition is the main cause of the irritation which causes unjustifiable strikes, and is responsible for the community's general fatigue, and for the lack of observation and logical thought which has, for instance, made some previously intelligent people clamour for a further reduction of our rations. An influenza epidemic, unless we have more food, will find us overdebilitated either to withstand illness itself or the increased work which will be thrown on those who remain well. Doctors even now are being consulted by patients who. without any detectable illness, are generally so worn out that they cannot continue to work. It is impossible to treat them properly as there is none of the food they require to bring them back k) normal health. Absolute priority should be given to fishing and agriculture to remedy this grave crisis."