Page:Helen Rich Baldwin - Nutrition and Health (1924).pdf/17

 vitality and poorly developed body, is very likely to grow up be less efficient than a well nourished child and unfit to assume the full responsibilities of a good citizen.

The malnourished child is moreover a magnet for disease. Doctors state that the diseases to which people are subject—especially those to which children are subject—are most likely to attack undernourished children first. Children suffering from malnutrition lack resistance. They not only succumb more easily to diseases but they generally have more serious cases and recover with greater difficulty.

There is a close relation between malnutrition and mental development. Malnourished children are almost always mentally retarded, in some extreme cases even to the point where it is impossible to distinguish the condition from mental deficiency. The explanation is simple. A brain which is not getting sufficient or proper food cannot function normally any more than a starved body. Both need to be generously nourished in order to be vigorous and healthy.

In view of these evil consequences it is imperative that malnutrition be overcome in order to safeguard the physical and mental welfare of the nation.

Fortunately, malnutrition can be overcome or prevented if dealt with intelligently and consistently.

The first step in the treatment of malnutrition is to discover the cause in order that it may be removed.

A malnourished child should have a thorough physical examination to determine whether there are any physical defects which are the direct cause of this condition. Enlarged or diseased tonsils should be taken out; bad teeth should be filled or extracted, and all other organic defects removed.