RESTRICTED DIET

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11226, 3 June 1922, Page 8

RESTRICTED DIET

INTERESTING FIGURES AUSTRALIANS EATING MUCH LESS MEAT. DELETERIOUS EFFECTS. By Telegraph.— Press Assn.—Copyright. SYDNEY, June 2. A pamphlet written by Mr Sawkins, Statist to the New South Wales Board of Trade, dealing with the national diet, shows that the average consumption in New South Wales of the chief descriptions of food fell in energy value per man per day from 3005 calories in 1911 to an average of 2790 calories during the three years ended June, 1020. The fall was due for the most part to the decrease in the consumption of meat, which, according to the latest figures, is 40 per cent, below the pre-war standard, while the consumption of potatoes has fallen by 42 \per cent. The fall is largely tho 'outcome of the high prices during the year. Probably a considerable portion of the decrease was made up in other foods used in place of those mentioned. The writer calls attention to the deleterious effects of restricted diet.

According to the pamphlet, in 1913 Australia consumed 273 pounds of meat annually per head of the population. By 1917-18 the average had fallen to 162 pounds, and by 1919-20 it had gone up again to 173 pounds. “No doubt it has gone up further recently owing to the cheapening of meat, but the habit of doing without which arose during the war dies hard.” The pamphlet also says that although the consumption of meat diminished enormously during the war, Australia is still’ one of the great meateating countries of the world.