SCIENTIFIC DIET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22139, 19 June 1935, Page 12

SCIENTIFIC DIET

RATIONS FOR RELIEF HOSPITAL BOARD'S SCALE REPORT FROM OVERSEAS The necessity for conforming to scientific standards in providing rations for recipients of relief was stressed by Dr. J. P. Hastings, a member of the Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting of tho board yesterday. Ho had given notice to move that the rationing of relief recipients should be adjusted in accordance with tho recommendations of the Nutrition Committee of the British Medical Association in Great Britain.

There was no generally accepted standard as to what constituted malnutrition, Dr. Hastings said, but it was a definite fact that many poor people to-day wero under-nourished. When they were provided with food rations, it was essential that tho goods they received should be of adequate food value. People who did not receive sufficient nourishment were prone to contract illnesses, and in this way an inadequate diet for relief recipients might result in an increase in hospital cases.

Adequate Diet for Week The Nutrition Committee of the British Medical Association had brought down a most valuable report, giving what was considered to bo an adequate diet. Translated into terms of food for one man for ono week it was as follows: —Beef, lib.; minced meat, ilb.; bacon, ; corned beef, ilb.; liver, ilb.; one egg; cheese, ilb.; milk, 1£ pints; fish, Jib.; butter, ilb.; suet, loz.; lard, ilb.; flour, 4Jlb., or 7ilb. of bread; sugar, lib.; jam, potatoes, 51b.; dried peas, ilb.; tea, Jib.; oatmeal, ilb.; rice, ilb.; treacle, ilb-; cabbage, lib.; dried beans, ilb.; barley, ilb.; fruit and green vegetables to the value of 7d.

Dr. Hastings said this weekly diet could be bought in Auckland at present for 6s 9£d in retail shops. The report showed that a woman would require nine-tenths of a man's diet, children between 12 and 14 would require the same diet as a man, while a child between the ages of six and eight would require only six-tenths of the scale allowed for an adult male. Some Choice Desired "The practice locally," Dr. Hastings continued, "is to allow recipients of relief rations to the value of 5s weekly for each person. However, that sum can cover such items as boot polish and kerosene, and need not be spent entirely on foodstuffs. The British Medical Association scale deals with foodstuffs alone."

Mrs. M. M. Dreaver suggested that the list quoted by Dr. Hastings should be placed before the Relief Committee for reference. "We realise that our grant is small," said the Rev. W. C. Wood, chairman of the Relief Committee, "but a few years ago it was smaller than it is today. I think all the items enumerated by Dr. Hastings are on our list." He added that many people liked to exercise an individual choice when they received an order from the committee for groceries. The matter was referred to the Relief Committee.

NEEDS OF CHILDREN PROVIDING MILK AT SCHOOLS Sympathy with an effort to improve the "nutrition of children was expressed at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday when a letter was received from the Auckland District Federation of Women's Institutes forwarding various resolutions ■ on the matter. The federation urged that, in view of the evidence in the annual report of the Health Department for 1934 that there was definite malnutrition among children, a conference of interested organisations should be arranged to discuss ways and means of improving the position; that milk should be distributed daily to school children, through the district hospital board and the school committees where possible; and that some form of national health insurance should be evolved along the lines discussed at the last Hospital Boards' Association conference.

It was decided to reply that the board was in sympathy with the proposals and would co-operate with the federation in every possible way. In addition, on the motion of Mrs. A. G. Anderton, it was decided to recommend the setting up of a committee, representing local authorities, with a view to evolving a scheme whereby milk might be provided to all school children.