HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22349, 21 February 1936, Page 16

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

SUBNORMAL NUTRITION CAUSES AND REMEDIES "Nutrition is the foundation of public health," stated Dr. A. G. Paterson, Director of the Division of School Hygiene, Department of Health, when addressing the Wellington Education Board 011 subnormal nutrition. Dr. Paterson recently visited Great Britain where she studied health conditions in the schools. The benefit of comprehensive schemes instituted in England during the last thirty years was very evident, the doctor said. To say that all children were adequately .fed and clothed would be ridiculous, but the terrible examples of starvation, untreated physical defects, and ragged, dirty clothing formerly apparent were nover Seen now. The attention of the authorities had been specially foeussed on causes of under-nourishment and means for the prevention of subnormal nutrition. In 1934, of the approximately 500,000 children attending London Elementary schools, 4.7 per cent were suffering from subnormal nuitrition (the lowest figure on record), compared with 4.8 per cent in 1983. and 12.8 per cent in 1912. In New Zealand the return of subnormal nutrition, including bad nutrition, was 5.64 per cent in 1934, 5.48 per cent in 1933. and 5.81 per cent in 1932. The New Zealand classification appeared to bo more rigid than in England, Dr. Paterson said. Good nutrition presupposed not only sufficient food, but a properl.v functioning body and healthy living with fresh air, cleanliness, exercise, and (what was most important) adequate rest and sleep. Unemployment, lack of money, high rents, and unwise spending affected its incidence greatly, but malnutrition often existed apart from these. It had been found in the most expensive schools, and the results obtained at the Otaki Health Cntup showed how attention to the points mentioned brought an improvement even with full.v-fed children.