FOOD “FALLACIES’’

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 9

FOOD “FALLACIES’’

V. AN OYSTER SHOCK. COLD BATHS FOR SLIMMING. ' Several popular beliefs about dieting ; ancl food. . values,; t “slim.ming/* fiind exercise .woye..:attacked by, .Professor E-.-C. Dodds,. Professor of Biochemistry in; .London University, in an tiddress; last • mqnt-h.- Among , Jiis points were: — • • ■ . • Tin?'benefit Revived from oysters }»■ almost' negligible cnimpn.red with what is' obtained; from thev slice of brown lif end and 'butte r a cco mpa ny tug them. 'Toastf. is more ‘nourishing' .than bread.;. ;r ’ i ’ •■■■■■

Cloa-r soup can. be. taken, - with' impunity' by a. ‘‘fat’’ person. •

The most nourishing Foods" arc cheap.

Exercise for reducing‘weight musk be combined with rigid ' dieting.' “To'the. lav mind,” said the professor, ‘■‘there' is perhaps no more potent’ restorative than oysters. A. dozen oysters will yield .88" calories (units) of energy—that means, that the well-to-do person, is spending, say, .shillings f0r..88 calories' worth of food. ‘‘The slice .of.brown bread and butter which. 1(0 .eats with the. oysters, will give, him well over 100 caloriesThe part of the. oysters is- almost- ne'gligihlp. /, ’ • .... - . . . -

“The most ..nourishing of all foods, is. biittpr,. which .contains - 3609 .calories to- the. pound. .- “The really, nourishing-, foods a T( n r.lieaip, while the low - caloried- foods are expensive. . A- lohster;. ffij-' instance, ; when eaten, alone,' will - yield only 90 calories. - - ,

“Peoples’ refuse bread! because ' they lielieve it is fattening l and. cat toast instead.' Weight -i'o r - weight,', toast i.s more nourishing than bread'. NEEDLESS PRIVATIONS.

“One ojrtcn hea'i's 1 the remark thata.‘ particular, soiip must he nomushino- because it sets a jelly when cold. Tins is due to-the gelatine' which is extracted from-the meat- -or tendons, hut gelatine is one of the few .pro-t-ins that will not support life. ’ Cleas- soup was of very low caloric value and could be- taken with, impunity by a fat person. " ■“lt is a pityl’ Rrpfessor Dodds went oil,. ‘‘to see a. oiuer .reiusing oysiers and clear- soup because Fie' fears lie will get. fat. While his thin friends- are consuming ■ low-calor.ea delicacies he himself is taking in literally hundred’s of calories hv eating rolls and butter.

“It is impossible to attempt any form of dieting without reference to' an accurate set .of food tables, slue? otherwise •unnecessary .privation, associated with.- disappointing results, will'almost certainly ensue. “The question of reduction ol weight is a- purely 'scientific and mathematical one, and superstition., blind faith, and ' various ■ artiicles . food, rqforred to as' fs’imming,’ have no legitimato. place: ; - • “It, is much easier to take iu calorie,s. in the. form of food than to get rid of them -hv exercise.

“As a means of dissipuit-ing energy, Turkish baths and warm and tepicl baths have no effect, while massage only, reduces' the weight of the masseur.; ■ j

Cold baths, on.-the other handle greatly .increase .the .metabolism, and therefore balance articles of food. Acold bath of five minutes’ duration at 1.6 degrees Centigrade causes -the loss'.of about 70 calories. ’ 7

“Most people have an erroneous view about the weight-reducing character of exercise, and from the. poi-ift of view' of reduction in weight it cannot be recommended unless corabined with 1 very rigid dilating.” WEIGHT DUE; TO BEER.

Professor Dodds then made the following; comparisons:— For every pint -of beer consumed by a person anxious not to put on weight, he would have to pla.y squash jackets (one of the most exhausting of ga,mes)-for half an hour, or to oxer himself for a, longer period at a lower rate of energy expenditure, such ng walking five mile's fit: four miles an hqur. •

Anyone •- vvho indulged in anything (ike a convivial evening would have to ‘ spend' ma|ny days' playing squash rackets to avoid putting on weight. A glass ■of champagne is . equal to 10 minutes’■ squash, and a double whisky and soda ' would require full half-hour to allow for tlie expenditfuro of thi! •ueec'ssajry amount of energy. .1 .1 "• ,

A large whisky corresponds in food value to three boiled eggs, yet few who 'had dined out would take six boiled eggs'as a. nightcap.