NATIONAL HEALTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22860, 15 October 1937, Page 15

NATIONAL HEALTH

IMPROVEMENT NEEDED DAIRY PRODUCTS AS FOOD DR. E. B. GUNSON'S VIEWS The need for improving the national health of the Dominion was discussed by Dr. E. B. Gunson, president of the Crusade for Social Justice, when outlining future activities of the crusade at a luncheon meeting of the organisation yesterday. National health was a matter which the crusade proposed to investigate, he said. " There was a time, and recently at that, when criticisms of the state of our national health were seriously contested," Dr. Gunson said. " To-day, however, there is a general appreciation throughout the country that our national health, good though it may bo in comparison with some of the older countries of the world, is nevertheless far fram satisfactory, and that it results, broadly speaking, from a state of inadequate nutrition of a largo section of the community."

Adequate Food From inquiries which had already been made in New Zealandj and as a <result of international inquiry carried out in most of the countries of tho world, it had become accepted that tho achievement of national good health was essentially a national matter, Dr. Gunson added. Tho crusado proposed to examine the barrier to the introduction of those measures, which would make it possible for New Zealand people to be adequately fed. The crusado accepted the League of Nations' finding that national good health was dependent upon <n agricultural policy which would make available to everyone certain essential foodstuffs at prices which would enable their purchase by the people without sacrificing other things which-pertaincd to a reasonable standard of living. Use ol Dairy Products In a primary producing country such as New Zealand, it was naturally surprising that although dairy products were among the most important protective foods, there was actually a deficient consumption of these foods by the people, and actually, in some cases, a shortage of production. , Dr. Gunson said it was also proposed to investigate the family budget position of a certain number of city and country families. It was desired to learn what, at the moment, constituted £ho individual dietary of the members of Dominion families, what tho provision of those foodstuffs cost, what their relationship was to other items of family expenditure, and what the* individual family income to meet those costs actually was.

NEED FOR INQUIRY r . PROBLEM OF MALNUTRITION " Until Now Zealand sets up a national nutrition committee, wo shall not make a proper attack upon the Sroblem of malnutrition," said Dr. E. 1. Gunson, in a lecturo given last night to members of the Workers' Educational Association. Much of the ill-health and poor physique of peoplo w«as due to lack of necessary elements in their diet. In most countries national nutrition committees were among tho most important institutions. . , T r , , j " It is essential that in New Zealand we should have these services, because while we may state broadly that there is malnutrition in this country, Dr. Gunson continued, ** and thfl.t something must bo done to remedy it, we must have definite statements as to the cause. Otherwise, we cannot effectively apply remedies necessary. Although New Zealand was better placed in the matter of physical standards of the people than Great Britain, there still was a great deal to be done.