A study of English diets by the individual method: III. Pregnant women at different economic levels

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Abstract
1. The diets of 120 pregnant women at different economic levels have been studied by the individual method.2. The intake of calories was found to be little affected by income, and this was true also of fat and carbohydrate. The intakes of protein, animal protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1 rose convincingly with income.3. These differences were due to the fact that a rise in spending power led to an increased consumption of milk, fruit, vegetables and meat, and to a decreased consumption of bread and total cereals. Details are given in Table V.4. Women taking the better diets were found on average to be taller and less anaemic than those taking the poorer diets. The differences were significant.5. A comparison of the diets of the well-to-do women with the requirements suggested by the League of Nations and other authorities suggests that the requirement for calories has been set too high. The intake of calcium was suboptimal throughout and the diets of the poorer women were deficient in many respects.

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