UNDER-NOURISHED MILLIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 29

UNDER-NOURISHED MILLIONS

GREAT BRITAIN'S 15,000,000 INTERNATIONAL GO-OPERATION The Council of Hygiene of the League of Nations was organised for the protection of public health through international co-operation. Apart from promoting and co-ordin-ating the work of the sanitary authorities of the various countries, the council is an important source of information on the outbreak and propagation of epidemics in the world, it maintains its own post of observation at Singapore, which keeps tho harbours and the ships on the high seas informed of all such events. Moreover, this body conducts an active campaign against such social diseases as malaria, syphilis, leprosy, sleeping sickness, etc. 1 However, since the depression began its triumphal march through the world the council has been compelled to devote more and moi'c of its time to an entirely new problem of public health : that of under-nourishment and its effects upon its victims. In 1932 the council began to investigate in a general way the effects of the economic depression upon public health, establishing the clinical and physiological criteria of under-nourishment and elaborating the correct dietary norms. The findings of this extensive research work were summarised in a report published a year ago, dealing not only with the physiological but also with the industrial and commercial aspects of the problem. , , , In this report, substantiated by carefully compiled statistical data, the number of under-nourished individuals is given at 15 millions in Great Britain TalmoA one-third of the total population), and as 24-30 millions in the United States. .. ~ There is nothing much one could add to these figures which arc self-explana-tory. The least that could bo, said is that they are appalling, especially as they refer to two countries which enjoy the reputation of being “ rich. They are even more appalling because under-nourishment as a social phenomenon hits the children first. What does under-nourishment mean to the child: A retardation of his growth and a lack of development. In other words, it warps the minds and bodies of the growing generation. The English investigators established that 51 per cent, of children of families belonging to the under-nourished group were below normal weight and size, while the corresponding ratio for the children of a well-to-do group did not exceed 9 per cent. Moreover, the death rate among the children or tne first group was twice as high as among those of the second group. In some districts of the United States the body weight of 90 per cent, of the children of an under-nourished group was 10 per cent, below the normal standard for their age. It is easy to imagine what the figures for the poorer countries would be like. _ The view held by hygienists the world over is that in all countries mi - Hons of people do not get enough nourishment. Nor do they get the kind of nourishment that would be desirable, physiologically speaking. This is of course, mainly the result or poverty, but not of poverty alone; ignorance has a great deal to do with it. It is calculated, for example, that it the entire population of the United States would get enough food of the physiologically correct kind, the sown area of the country would have to bo considerably enlarged. Therefore, from the standpoint of the hygienist, it is absurd to speak of agricultural overproduction. In reality the world suffers from under-consumption. _ Following upon the publication of tho above report, the International Labour Congress commissioned the Geneva Labour Bureau to investigate the social aspects of the problem, especially the question of foodstuffs consumption and the influence of nutrition upon the efficiency of the working masses. Its political and economic aspects were discussed at the last Assembly of the League, in 1935, when the Australian delegate, Mr S. M. Bruce, made a few interesting suggestions. For example. ho recommended a concerted international drive against under-nourish-ment, as the most effective means of combating tho agricultural crisis. He also expressed the view that it would bo much wiser if, instead of paying the producers premiums for reducing the cultivated area and dumping the gifts of Nature into the sea, the Governments would study means of raising the consumption of foodstuffs, and along with it of the general standard of living and public health. In connection with the discussion a commission of agricultural experts, economists, and hygienists was set up and began its activities last February, by promoting the organisation of national bodies for tho study of local problems. Tboir findings will be contained in a report to be presented at the next Assembly. The fact that so much under-nourish-ment exists in this age of plenty which, technically speaking, is more than able to cope with the problem of production, is an appeal to reason and conscience. Therefore the attempt of the League of Nations to couple hygiene and economics deserves the attention and active support of all well-meaning people.