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30 



SOCIAL ASPECTS 

 OF NUTRITION 



W. H. SEBRELL, medical director, u. s. public health service; 



CHIEF, DIVISION OF PHYSIOLOGY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH 



'XTHE PHENOMENAL scientific progress in biochemistry 

 -^ in the past few decades has opened up new vistas in the 

 field of nutrition. The most important aspect of this progress has 

 been our greatly increased knowledge of the chemistry of the human 

 organism. Although we still have much to learn about the chemistry 

 of our vital processes, enough is now known to show that, by con- 

 trolling his nutritional environment, man can make far-reaching con- 

 tributions to his health and welfare. 



Our enemies in this war have demonstrated how manipulation 

 of the food supply can be used to weaken nations by creating condi- 

 tions which cause malnutrition, ill health, and increasing mortality. 

 But our knowledge of nutrition also can be used to strengthen the 

 people of the world. If this knowledge is intelligently applied, progress 

 toward the ideal of adequate nutrition for everyone can become one 

 of the main roads leading to a greater degree of health and prosperity 

 than the world has ever known. This, if attained, can be a major 

 contribution to a permanent international peace. Since scientists 

 possess this vital knowledge, the question is: how can scientists best 

 play their parts in transforming the ideal into reality? 



Most scientists feel they have completed their work when the 

 results of their experiments have been published in a technical journal 



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