208 NUTRITIONAL PHYSIOLOGY 



questions which call for open-minded treatment and re- 

 garding which it is hard to exclude personal bias. A 

 writer's love for the pleasures of the table, or his ascetic 

 superiority to them, must tincture his expressed views. 

 The present author once committed himself to the state- 

 ment that overeating is the rule with men and the excep- 

 tion with women. A pupil a girl rendered the teaching 

 in her examination as follows: " Women rarely overeat, 

 men do constantly, and are, as a result, bulky and stupid." 

 The assertion, though radical, is exceedingly well worth 

 considering. 



The claim is often made that the average practice of 

 mankind must be the expression of a correct biologic in- 

 stinct. Against this it is urged that our own generation 

 may inherit appetites which were adapted to spur our 

 ancestors to find food when the quest was difficult. Such 

 appetites may be false guides when no effort is required 

 to obtain the means of satisfaction. Variety of food 

 may lead to overconsumption. Modern conditions make 

 it possible to have many kinds of food and interesting 

 contrasts of flavor which encourage eating for sensuous 

 gratification. The primitive diet was monotonous and 

 unseasoned. 



Economic factors are tending to lessen the individual 

 ration, and a great mass of published instruction influences 

 people in the same direction. It is probable that the 

 American breakfast is a much less substantial meal to- 

 day than it was twenty years ago. The use of fruit has in- 

 creased and food of greater fuel value has been displaced. 

 Odd patent cereals, small quantities of which exhaust the 

 appetite, have been widely substituted for the reliable oat- 

 meal. Meat and potato are not demanded. Lighter 

 lunches at noon are the rule, and though the late dinner 

 may be a heavier meal than the old-time supper, the day's 

 ration seems to have definitely diminished. This is par- 

 ticularly true of protein. The choice of 100 grams of 

 nitrogenous food, an amount once described as average, is 

 now found to be exceptional. If any one of the three main 



