Fourth of Israel’s People Consume Less Than 2,400 Calories Daily

While a considerable part of the Israeli population is adequately nourished, 24 percent of the population consumes less than 2,500 calories a day, according to an official health survey, the results of which were being studied here today.

A team of doctors attached to the Hebrew University made the survey under the auspices of the government’s Scientific Research Council. The investigators warned that “continuation of unsatisfactory nutrition over long periods may result in borderline nutritional deficiencies developing tinto real nutritional diseases.” They reported a “tendency towards slight or frank anemia” in an “alarming number” of persons examined. Youths in factories showed a much less satisfactory blood picture than those of similar ages in school.

The survey was based on examination of 3,000 people. One group was checked daily on eating habits and examined for health. A second group was given periodic blood tests. The investigators found that 50 percent of those examined consumed 2,400 calories provided by the rationing system. Housewives were founds to be the “most malnourished group in the population,” probably because they usually gave their own rations to their children.

Among the reasons given for the poor eating habits found were that some families could not purchase items like milk, vegetables and fruits because of the high prices and that certain sections of the population were not familiar with the types of food available and did not know how to prepare them. The report on the survey recommended continuation of these surveys and a widespread educational campaign to teach the population how to make the most of their rations. It also urged government laboratory testing of imported and domestically grown food.