This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
To the Editor.—
Everyone is aware of the controversy surrounding the subject of dietary factors in the natural history of acne vulgaris.Recently, we came across an article by Schaefer in the November/December issue of Nutrition Today (6:8, 1971), which contained some statements that we felt would be of interest to the dermatologic profession.According to the article, the Eskimo population of Canada has moved most rapidly (within a decade) from the status of a hunting society to that of a town-based "civilized society." The igloo, spear, and dogsled have been exchanged for the centrally heated home, the supermarket, and the snowmobile.In the course of this change, it was noted that acne, virtually absent among eskimo youth in the past, has become a common and sometimes severe problem.The eskimo youth, the article notes, have become virtually addicted to chocolate, which they consume in large quantities. They, themselves, ascribe