El problema de la alimentación: Un enfoque desde las encuestas de nutrición. Chile, 1928-1938

Abstract

This article analyzes several nutrition surveys conducted between 1928 and 1938, in the context of the concerns about the living conditions of the working-class. In addition to acknowledging the importance of food in the expenses structure of the working families in the country, these surveys identify consumption patterns and the serious problems that the poor families had to endure in order to attain a minimum living standard, measured in terms of caloric intake. In addition to acknowledging the value of these surveys, this article is part of a larger project that seeks to provide theoretical and methodological elements for the understanding of the food issue, and to historically study the development of the science of nutrition.