Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council has formulated goals for the specific nutrients to serve as a guide in planning practical diets. These recommended allowances were first announced at the National Nutrition Conference in Washington in May 1941. They were revised in 1945, 1948, and every 5 years since then. The term "recommended allowances" was adopted rather than "standards" to avoid the implication of finality. The League of Nations had previously proposed dietary standards as had the Food and Drug Administration with somewhat different objectives. The Food and Drug Administration because of legalistic reasons set standards in terms of minimum requirements for normal nutrition.

The term "requirement" in nutrition usually means that amount which just suffices for minimum protection in normal nutrition. The recommended allowances are set at levels considerably above the requirement where higher intakes of some nutrients are known to be desirable.

Calories

According to the Food and Nutrition Board, the proper calorie allowance is that which over an extended period will maintain the body weight (or rate of growth) at the level most conducive to well-being. It is suggested that the recommended calorie allowances may be modified within 15 to 20 per cent to fit individual cases. One's activities may vary from day to day which would mean a fluctuation in the energy requirement. Also, people living and working in colder climates need more calories for the same activity than people living under milder climatic conditions. For people in the Arctic this increase has been found to amount to 15 to 25 per cent.

The recommended allowances for children are based on food consumption studies and represent average food intakes for the middle year in each group. Children who are above-average size for their age will need higher calorie allowances than those indicated in the table for their age. Children have been found to have higher basal metabolism requirements per unit of weight than adults. Also, determinations of the actual energy expenditure of children engaged in various activities show that they need higher calorie allowances for each activity per unit of weight than do adults. The food intake of active boys and girls who are growing rapidly should not be curtailed until they have reached their maximum height for age. Inadequate calories will either show actual loss in weight or a failure to grow at a normal rate. The ideal weight for a rapidly growing boy or girl is about 10 per cent above the average weight for age and height. However, some children are naturally smaller in size, and as long as gains in weight are steady and their weight is not too far below the average they should not be regarded as underweight.

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