“CALORY-COUNTING GANT”

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1930, Page 9

“CALORY-COUNTING GANT”

DOCTOR ON PUBLIC HEALTH

COMMON FADS RIDiCULED

IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.

Rec. 10.30 p.m. Vancouver, Aug. 27. Addressing the British Medical Association to-night, Dr. Robert Hutchinson, F.R.C.P., London, said he considered that health was sooner found in an easy-going life that scorned worries about being fit than in a life that was a succession of physical jerks, calorycounting and germ avoidance.

"What we need as individuals is not more knowledge but a change of heart,” said Dr. Hutchinson. He labelled as cant catch phrases about a nation’s health being a nation’s wealth. “The country’s greatest asset is character,” he said. “Let us cultivate character and let health look after itself.”

"The diet faddist is perhaps the commonest and most malignant crank or faddist. The scientific truth about all this diet business is eat moderately, taking an ordinary mixed diet, don’t worry about anything else. Likes and dislikes, however, should be listened to; they are natures indication of what probably agrees or disagrees.” He laughed at food fads. "Leave raw vegetables, except salads, to herbivorous animals,” he said. "Let the calories look after themselves. Don’t scrap up your insides with roughage as it is more likely to do harm than good. Fruit is not very nourishing. Milk is bulky and bilious. Vegetarianism is harmless enough, although it is apt to fill a man with wind and self-righteousness.” Under the heading of the “overanxious doctor,” Dr. Hutchinson included too careful mothers. “The infant,” he said, "is now regarded as a job for the combined knowledge of the chemist, psychologist and public officer of health.” Some persons lay to this super-care the decline in infant mortality, but he averred that if he had the time he could make out a case for its being the result of the replacement of a horse by the motor-car or of the invention of dried milk. "Give them happy homes, the companionship of other children and plenty of plain, simple food,” he said. “Don’t take too much notice of them; send them early to bed and leave the rest to chance.” Sir James Purvis Stewart, K.C.M.G., in another address outlining ways to lengthy life, said he considered heredity by far the most important factor, but he regretted that the lack of birth control permitted the reproduction of far from perfect specimens. Other ways were the public hospital and the family doctor.