Excerpt: A knowledge of the food consumption habits of different population groups is needed in dealing with many of our current social and economic problems. The interrelationship between diet and health is gaining recognition by the public, so that lively interest attends discussions of what constitutes an adequate diet, and how much a suitable food supply costs. The appraisal of present dietary habits in the light of modern knowledge of food and nutrition is basic to educational programs in food selection. Quantitative information on present food habits is also indispensable in determining the foods to be priced and the weight to be assigned to each in developing cost-of-food indexes, and in pricing food budgets. In addition, information regarding consumption at different economic levels serves to indicate the probable shifts in consumption as barriers to free choice are lifted. These are matters of interest to consumer, labor, farm, and business groups, as well as to civic and governmental agencies.
