Various conditions brought on by lack of proper nutrition have been variously judged to be simply a part of growing old, or to have an effect of making a person appear old beyond his years. This is particularly evident in the southern United States, where many people in the lower income brackets must work for long hours every day in the fields, the factories, or in-mines. Here women, pregnant during most of their childbearing years, must also spend long hours caring for homes and children as well as working outside their homes. As a result of a study made over a period of ten years at the Nutrition Clinic at Birmingham, Alabama, it was found that nutritional deficiency is most common among women of childbearing age. These women frequently have inadequate diets during pregnancy and as a result both the mother and the child are affected. Of the cases observed at the clinic, most of the women suffered from pellagra, nervousness and hallucinations, sore mouth and tongue, severe pains in the feet and legs, and loss of weight. One woman of 30 was judged by her appearance to be 50. Another who was 70 began again to lead a vigorous and happy life after proper diet and treatment were prescribed. No one knows what role nutritive failure plays in the aging process, but a greater effort should be made to apply what we do know so that older people suffering from lack of proper nutrition may be returned to an active and happy life.