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Considerable malnutrition is due also to improper food.
Proteins and fats are relatively expensive, carbohydrates relatively
cheap. In times of financial stringency there is a natural inclination
to purchase the cheapest foods and thus children obtain an
undue proportion of carbohydrate food and too little protein and
fat. Milk is undoubtedly the most valuable food to make good the
protein and fat deficiency, though the milk must be above bacteriological
suspicion.
During 1932, with very few exceptions, all schools adopted
the scheme of the National Milk Publicity Council which commenced
in September, 1929. In 1932 some 7,000 bottles of milk
per day were supplied.
This scheme has one defect inasmuch as, owing to financial
reasons, children who would benefit most do not get the milk. A
number of these, however, are dealt with direct by recommendations
from the school medical officers and so come under another scheme
by which milk, up to 1 pint, and malt and oil, are given at graduated
prices, or free, to malnourished children. Through the co-operation
of the teachers this extra nourishment is given at school so that
the child is sure of a regular supply. Severe malnutrition in childhood
is never really made good in after life. Childhood is the
great growing period. Nutrition is a subject of fundamental importance
and should always be of concern to parents, doctors and
teachers. Much of the widespread ignorance among parents on
economical and efficient catering would be dispelled in a future
generation if every girl and boy was soundly grounded in the subject
of food values and the science and art of cooking before leaving
school. It cannot be repeated too often that unsuitable, badly
chosen food may cause as much malnutrition as too little food.
Heights and Weights.
Table III. gives the results of an enquiry made to ascertain
the average heights and weights of all children examined at routine
inspection of 1932. The full value of this table will not be obtained
until similar records for ten consecutive years have been analysed ;
when this is completed the rate of growth can be followed, so far
as Croydon children are concerned, throughout school life.