312 ANATOMY FOR NURSES [Chap. XVI 



The amount of food necessary for normal nutrition. — In a 

 normal condition the main object of food is : (1) to furnish the ma- 

 terial for the repair of tissue, and (2) to furnish material for the 

 heat produced and the muscular and other work done. The most 

 important factors influencing the amount of food required are 

 activity, age, size, sex, and climate. The greater the amount 

 of nuiscular work, the greater the amount of food rccjuired. 

 Children need more food in proportion to their weight than 

 adults, because they are more active, and in addition must 

 provide for the growth of new tissue. Increased age usually means 

 less active life and thus less food is required. A large person 

 requires more food because the greater amount of tissue requires 

 the expenditure of more energy in all the nutritive processes. 

 Women as a riile require less food than men, because they are 

 smaller, and possibly less energetic in their movements. In an 

 extremely cold climate more food is required for heat production 

 in order to make up for the loss of heat from the body. It is ordi- 

 narily estimated that the daily diet should yield 2400 calories for 

 an individual weighing about 60 kilograms (130 lbs.), that is, 40 

 calories for each kilogram of body weight. 



In computing the proportion of different foods to be used the 

 total number of calories is divided into fifths ; sufficient protein 

 is allowed to give one-fifth ; sufficient fat to give one- to two-fifths, 

 and sufficient carbohydrates to give two- to three-fifths. 



Ranke's diet is as follows : 



Protein 100 gm. = 410 calories. 



Fats 100 gm. = 930 calories. 



Carbohydrates 240 gm. = 984 calories. 



Total 2324 calories. 



There is no approach to unanimity in the amounts required ; 

 thus Moleschott would give 130 grams of protein, while Chittenden 

 thinks GO grams of protein sufficient. 



Ranke's diet is given because it is the simplest, other diets by 

 other authors may be just as good or even better. For further 

 details some standard book on dietetics should be consulted. 



For a healthy person leading a normal life appetite and experi- 

 ence seem safe guides by which to control the diet. They will at 

 least prevent undernutrition, and the consequent lessening of the 



