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Show U S. IS NOT BEST rai) NATION ARTICLE REVEALS Far from being the best fed nation in the world the United States ranks far down the line in the nutritional value of food consumption, according to an article in this October issue of The American Magazine. "New Zealand probably is the best fed nation on earth," states Fred Bailey, executive director of National Agricultural Research, Inc., who declares that, here at home, "we feed our hogs better than our children." Here, as given by this food authority, are some blunt facts about the situation in this great food-producing nation: One-third of the American population actually suffers from hunger, not from lack of volume, but from lack of nutrition. In per capita consumption of milk and milk products, the U. S ranks 13th. In protein consumption, animal ani-mal and vegetable, America ranks 12th. In the consumption of meats, our position is sixth. The nations that lead the U. S. of knowledge, improper cooking techniques, wastage, soil impoverishment, impov-erishment, etc. Bailey reports that only one out of three girls in the U.S. receives even elementary training in home economics. Moreover, the American Ameri-can girl is inclined to adopt the cooking habits- of her mother, as her mother did before her and, he states, "through these inherited inherit-ed cooking habits, ignorance is perpetuated." Citing the $12,000,000 spent last year by the department of agriculture agri-culture and land-grant colleges on research in animal diseases, production and nutrition as compared com-pared to only $2,500,000 expended on human nutrition and home economics problems, Bailey declares de-clares : "This picture must be changed if our children are. to be fed as well as our hogs. "It the nation's diet is to be improved generally, millions must are: Consumption of milk and milk I products Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Austria. Aus-tria. New Zealand, Eirie, Norway, Canada, Netherlands, the Argen-' Argen-' tine. Consumption of meats Australia, Austra-lia, Uruguay, the Argentine, New Zealand, Paraguay. While "we have always considered consid-ered Soviet Russia and Manchuria regions of comparative destitution" destitu-tion" Bailey points out they enjoy en-joy equal ranking with the U. S. in animal and vegetable protein consumption. "Low income is one of the principal prin-cipal causes of our national failure fail-ure to eat as we should," says Bailey who is a member of a committee com-mittee created by congress to work with the secretary of agriculture agri-culture in promoting research into farm production, marketing, and use of agricultural products. Other causes are laziness or lack be spent for mass education and other millions for fertilization of our soils. "Perhaps the greatest need is for the establishment of a U. S. department of public health and nutrition at cabinet level. The creation of a government department depart-ment would focus all activities upon a single objective, hasten its fulfillment and save millions of dollars, perhaps, by preventing duplicated efforts." |