London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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50
children were fed for a time by the Oslo method and compared with a similar number
of children, corresponding in other respects as closely as possible, who were being
fed as is usual on hot dinners.
It was agreed by the Council that an experiment on these lines should be made
at the Trafalgar Square dining centre, Mile End, where 40 to 50 children are fed daily.
It was decided that wholemeal bread should be substituted for Kneipp crackers
and that New Zealand butter could, with advantage, be substituted for margarine.
Goats' milk cheese was not considered essential and the substitution was adopted of
a bland cheese of one of the lighter varieties, e.g., Caerphilly cheese. It was also
decided that the meals should be called " health dinners."
The experiment commenced at the above-named centre on 5th May, 1938.
Weekly weighings and measurings were carried out, not only of the necessitous
children receiving the modified Oslo diet, but also of an equal number of necessitous
children receiving ordinary meals at a neighbouring centre. The experiment was
supervised on the medical side by Dr. Bertha Sharpe.
Apart from the difference in diet the children in the two groups were comparable,
so far as could be ascertained, in all respects, including age, sex and social position.
Particulars of the two groups are given in the following table:—
| Height per cent. increase per child per week | Weight per cent. increase per child per week | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| " Health dinner" children | " Control" children | " Health dinner' children | " Control" children |
| Boys .159 per cent. (36—average age 9.7 years) | .093 percent. (47—average age 9.9 years) | .311 percent. | .171 percent. |
| Girls .155 per cent. (30—average age 9.7 years) | .074 per cent. (33—average age 9.7 years) | . 270 per cent. | .193 per cent. |
| Height | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|
It was inevitable that changes in the actual children attending should take
place in both groups owing to withdrawals, removals, illnesses, etc. The statistical
method used was, therefore, to take all the full weeks put in by children at both the
"Oslo" centre and the ordinary centre, and to obtain from the figures the average
percentage increase of height and of body-weight per week of children attending
both centres irrespective of whether they remained throughout the period or not.
It will be seen that the figures indicate a very significant improvement of those
children on the Oslo diet compared with those on ordinary dinners; indeed they are
very similar to the striking figures which were reported from Scandinavia before this
experiment was started in London. The cost of the foodstuffs for the Oslo experiment
during the above period was £65 2s. for 2,754 meals which approximately
averages 5.7d. a meal.
The Oslo foodstuffs had mostly to be bought in small quantities locally. On
the other hand, the experiment during the period under review was carried on during
a part of the year in which the food stuffs are cheaper than during the winter. It
may be assumed, however, that, if the feeding on Oslo lines were done on a large
scale, the cost would be reduced.
Most of the children liked the meals, and observers were pleased to find
that the children were enjoying the food and attending regularly.