Food rationing diet to fight obesity?
Adrian Tame
July 08, 2007 12:00am
SIXTY years after the end of war-time food rationing, a leading nutritionist is calling for the return of the ration books.
A 1940s diet could control the epidemic of obesity afflicting Australia and much of the developed world, says nutritionist Rosemary Stanton.
Apart from reducing the amount and variety of fatty foods available, rationing would reintroduce older values such as sharing and cutting down on waste.
"During war time if you noticed the apples in the bowl were getting a bit wrinkly, you stewed them," Dr Stanton said. "Today you just chuck them out."
Rationing in war-time Australia was less severe than much of the rest of the world, and the only foods to which it applied were tea, sugar, butter and meat.
Meat was rationed to the equivalent of 900g a week, butter to 450g a fortnight; sugar to 900g a fortnight and tea to 450g every five weeks.
"Austerity meals" were served in Australian restaurants and hotels, limiting expenditure to five shillings (about $15 at today's values) for dinner, four shillings for lunch and three shillings for breakfast.
"There was very little incidence of heart disease or diabetes during the war years, and obesity was almost unknown," Dr Stanton said.
People grew their own fruit and vegetables, and swapped foods with their neighbours, both of which should be encouraged today, she said.
"We were restrained in the amount of fatty foods we could buy, whereas today there are no limits. This leads to waste and the massive amount of food we throw away.
Her latest book,
Healthy Eating for Australian Families, includes a recipe for chocolate cake Dr Stanton discovered in an old World War II recipe book.
Food rationing 
Linear Mode
