SC - Another Inconsistency {Long}

[Decker, Terry D.]

There are a couple of studies which examine manor and town records in
different countries, and reach the conclusion that the average daily bread
intake per person was around 2.5 pounds.  That's about 2,960 calories for
wheat bread.  In addition, an adult consumed about a gallon of wine or beer
daily for an approximate 1,000 calories.  A good portion of meat or cheese
could easily reach the 6,000 calories per day.  Grain porridges probably
were more common away from towns and manors, but the caloric intake is
roughly the same as bread.

While the studies took into account populations, they were not able to
delineate availablility of foodstuffs to economic levels, although there are
some other studies which try to analyze that problem.  It is no surprise
that the wealth had greater access to food and more types of food.  This
access to food was transferred down the economic chain by making food part
of a person's wages.

Your analysis fails to take into account the endothermic requirements of the
body in the absence of efficient heating and cooling.  Rather than looking
at modern averages, you need to look at caloric requirements for survival in
extreme environments.

As for having no time for the arts, the wealthier you were the less time you
needed to produce your daily calories.  The wealthy could afford art and
leisure.  As you move down the economic scale art becomes more entwined with
the decoration of your labor until you reach the place where you have no
time for art.  

Bear

 

	<clipped>
> 3)  If they're eating 7.5 lbs of food a day and working 12 hours, it's
> no wonder they didn't have time for the arts and other enlightenment. 
> They were too busy leading a hand-to-mouth existence!
> 
> This was pretty cursory and may not stand up to rigorous scrutiny, but,
> then again, so was her entire article.  
> 
> John le Burguillun
> 
>