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17
Thus school medical officers are now themselves supervising four times the
number of psychological defects which they refer for specialist treatment.
These changes are a striking testimony to the value of the in-service training
which the school medical officers have been receiving in this field.
Every second Monday morning throughout 1968, Dr. Crosse has met the
school medical officers to discuss the problems presented by emotionally
disturbed children, and these sessions have obviously given encouragement
to medical officers in the Department to undertake more ambitious treatment
in individual cases.
The problems of drug dependence and drug experimentation have continued
to capture the attention of the mass media during the year. Discussions
on these problems have taken place within the Department, and
facilities were again reviewed. In spite of sensational newspaper statements,
there is no satisfactory evidence that either drug dependency or
experimentation is yet a problem amongst Croydon school children.
Nutrition
In previous reports this section has been headed "height and weight"
but the more general title seems preferable. The figures of average heights
and weights are recorded in Table 7. Annual fluctuations in each age
group make comparisons difficult, but the impression continues that, whilst
the average height of older pupils remains stationary, the average weight
is showing a gradual increase. This trend is rather more noticeable in girls.
It is essential that both parents and children should recognise that overnutrition
and inappropriate nutrition are potentially dangerous, leading to
disease in middle life and, in some cases, premature death. The excessive
consumption of starchy foods, sweets and sugars is particularly to be
deplored.
Examination of soldiers killed in the Korean War showed that young
American servicemen already had the changes in the arteries of the heart
which are known to be associated with disease in late middle age, whereas
the young South Korean soldiers fighting alongside them showed no such
changes. The conclusion that dietary factors were responsible seems inescapable.
It is not easy to persuade young people to forego pleasure now in
the interests of their later good health, as the health education campaign
concerning smoking has shown. To persuade them that only certain amounts
and certain types of an essential commodity like food should be consumed
is especially difficult but a vigorous attempt must be made.
Unfortunately the Weight Control Clinic supervised by Dr. Phyllis
Mortimer experienced some difficulties during the year and expected weight
reductions did not appear as regularly as those in the past. The whole
future of the Clinic was critically reviewed but, since it obviously satisfies
a real need, it was decided to continue the Clinic in a reorganised form.