In the United States, POWs were typically provided with a daily ration of 2,800 calories, which was considered to be sufficient to maintain a healthy weight. This ration included a variety of foods, such as bread, meat, vegetables, and fruit. POWs were also given access to medical care and were allowed to participate in recreational activities.
In contrast, POWs held by Germany were often subjected to severe malnutrition and starvation. The daily ration provided to POWs in German camps was often as low as 1,000 calories, which was far below the amount needed to maintain a healthy weight. As a result, many POWs lost a significant amount of weight and became malnourished. In addition, POWs in German camps were often denied access to medical care and were subjected to harsh labor conditions.
The treatment of POWs in Japanese camps was also extremely harsh. POWs were typically given a daily ration of only 500 calories, which was barely enough to sustain life. In addition, POWs in Japanese camps were often forced to perform hard labor, and they were subjected to torture and other forms of mistreatment.
As a result of the poor conditions in which they were held, millions of POWs died during World War II. The vast majority of these deaths were due to malnutrition, starvation, and disease.