The term "dietary standard," as it has been applied in the past, means the quantity of the several nutrients that should be taken by the human body under its varying conditions. During the past twenty-five years, many investigations have been made in this country, Europe, and Japan, regarding the amount of foods consumed by various groups of people. All the facts gathered, which include more or less accurate records of the foods eaten by many thousands of individuals under all circumstances and conditions of life, are invaluable scientific data, but the interpretation that has been placed upon these interesting observations is one of the most conspicuous blunders made by the scientific world. Whether this criticism should fall wholly upon the men of science, who made these investigations, or upon the people who misinterpreted their meaning, is perhaps an open question; but the fact remains that from the general teachings in physiologies, and from popular bulletins published by the National Government, very incorrect ideas have been widely spread respecting the amount of food required to maintain life and health.
Data of foods consumed daily by various people
In order to give the reader some idea of the results obtained, when data is kept each twenty-four hours, of the amount of food consumed by various people on the conventional diets of civilization, I will select at random some of the results that have been recorded in these investigations, and will give in the Vieno System the approximate results. (See "Vieno System of Food Measurement," Vol. III, p. 639):
| Decigrams | ||
| Nitrogen | ||
| Vienos | Consumed | |
| California Football Team | 66 | 375 |
| New England Rowing Club | 40 | 255 |
| Wealthy Class in American Cities | 30 | 250 |
| U. S. Army Rations. | 37 | 200 |
| Farmers, Eastern U. S. | 34 | 160 |
| Skilled laborers, U. S. Cities. | 40 | 220 |
| Alabama Negroes | 34 | 145 |
| Japanese Peasants | 20 | 100 |
Atwater's Government Standards
From such records Government standards have been roughly approximated. The standards published by the Government, computed by Prof. Atwater, and commonly known as the Atwater standards, are as follows, expressed in vienos:
| Decigrams | ||
| Nitrogen | ||
| Vienos | Consumed | |
| Man at hard muscular work | 55 | 280 |
| Man at hard work | 41½ | 240 |
| Man at moderate work | 34 | 200 |
| Man at light muscular work | 30½ | 180 |
| Man of sedentary habits | 27 | 160 |
The Atwater standard for women is estimated to be four-fifths of the amount of food required for a man under similar conditions.