NUTRITION AND HEALTH
The site of the experiment was a small New Jersey city within commuting distance of New York. From each of two grammar schools a group of sixteen children was recommended by the school physician. The two groups, consisting of thirty-two children (boys and girls), when weighed and measured were found to average 13% below normal, the average for Group A being 9¾ pounds below normal, and for Group B being 7¾ pounds below normal. Children of varying ages were included; the average for Group A being eight years and for Group B being seven years.
The experiment was conducted for a period of twelve weeks, from December 1, 1921, to March 1, 1922, thus including not only the disrupting holiday season but also those months in which, according to Dr. William T. Porter, the growth increment is markedly less than in the fall season of the year.
Educational, nutritional, and health work was carried on with both groups. Weekly classes on health and nutrition were held during school hours for one school period of about forty minutes. At this time the children were weighed, the weights being recorded on tags which the children were urged to take home to their parents. This educational work was conducted not only in the schools but also in the homes of the children which were visited at least three times each during the experiment.
Mid-morning school feedings were given to both groups for five days a week during the experimental period. The children were excused from classes for a fifteen minute period each day for the feedings. Group A was given one and one-fourth cups of the fluid milk, the energy value of which was about 196 calories. Group B was fed an equal quantity of diluted condensed milk of the same caloric value as the feedings of fluid milk. All children of both groups received about two tablespoonfuls of orange juice daily, making the total food value of each feeding approximately two hundred calories. Individual charts were made showing the normal and actual weight curves. This graphic record of progress was watched daily and proved to be of great interest both to the children and their teachers.
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