FATS AS ESSENTIAL DIETARY COMPOXEXTS 



839 



fat in the diet has been demonstrated by Scheer and cohaborators^"' in 

 Aveanhng rats which had previously been stunted by a sufficienth' drastic 

 restriction of the food intake so that practicall}^ no increase in body weight 

 occurred for a period of twelve weeks after weaning. The rats were then 

 allowed to eat diets containing varying quantities of fats ad libitum. 



BODY 

 360^1 IN 



jiGMS) 

 520l 



£801 



200. 

 160 



n 



n I 





I20L '• 



SOL 



40 



P^' ^'61 o: 63 64 5 °^62 65 6564 66 67 



a ; b; I la 



COTTON SEED OIL MARGARINE FAT 



Fig. 1. The average body weight of weanling male rats at the start (to top of lowei- 

 blank space), after three weeks (to top of solid black), after six weeks (to top of stippled 

 area), aft^r twelve weeks (to top of cross-lined area), and after eighteen weeks (to top 

 of upper blank area). The figures in the lower blank area are the diet numbers, which 

 are as follows: 60a, 09c fat; 60V3, 0% fat with essential fatty acids; 61, 5% fat; 62, 

 10% fat; 63, 20% fat; 64, 40% fat; 65, 30% fat; 66, o07c fat; 67, margarine fat (7.2%) 

 and cottonseed oil (2.8%) and S, stock diet.^^ (From original of Fig. 1, H. J. Deuel, Jr., 

 et al. J. Nutrition, 33, 573 (1947).) 



^Markedly superior growth was noted in the animals recei^'ing 10, 20, and 

 40% fat in the diet, as compared with those which had only or even 5% 

 fat in the diet, as compared with those which had only or even 5% of 

 cottonseed oil. Although this superiority in gro^^'th was evident during 

 the first period after ad libitum feeding was initiated, it continued to be 



" B. T. Scheer, D. F. Soule, M. Fields, and H. J. Deuel, Jr., /. Nutrition, 33, 583-592 

 (1947). 



