NO MALNUTRITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27025, 9 March 1949, Page 6

NO MALNUTRITION

CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN IMPROVEMENT DURING WAR There was no malnutrition in Britain at the present time. In fact, the nutrition situation of the British population was now in a better position than it had ever been. Planned rationing, as well as the raising of inconies by food subsidies, had enabled the lower classes of the country to live on a more complete diet than they had before the war. These were the contentions of Dr L. S. P. Davidson, professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh, in a lecture at the Town Hall last night. Dr Davidson supported his submissions with statistics which showed the rise in over-all calorific consumption in the country since the war. Graphs showing the decline in diseases usually associated with malnutrition were also shown as evidence.

Dr Davidson said it had been realised that Germany lost the First World War because the home front crumbled under malnutrition. When the late war started, an agricultural policy based on the calorific value of food had already been prepared. It involved tfie use of the majority of the arable land in growing potatoes, the highest source of calories. Wheat came next. Hens, pigs and beef cattle were not farmed. That was why the present diet in Britain was so monotonous, nutritive.

Priorities were given in the form of extra milk and meals to children, pregnant women and heavy workers, Dr Davidson said. The persons for whom he had the most sympathy were the housewives, who had no form of priority and could not afford to have expensive meals in restaurants, where prices were the rationing factor. Old people unable to stand in queues also often suffered hardships. These people were the ones who were the most- grateful recipients of parcels of food and fat from the dominions, Dr Davidson said. The morale building and psychological value of the parcels was wonderful.

England realised fully the value of the food received from the dominions and would never forget their efforts to relieve the shortages. It would have been impossible to maintain even the basic ration if’assistance had not been given, Dr Davidson said. Dr Davidson was introduced by the Vice-chancellor of the University of Otago, Dr R. S. Aitken, who said that Dr Davidson had been an adviser to the Britfsh Government on rationing. The dean of the Home Science School, Dr E. Gregory, proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker.