Answer with Explanation:
A "simile" is a figure of speech where one thing is being compared to another thing due to having something in common. This often uses "as" or "like" in the comparison.
The simile above was spoken by Alfred W. McCann, an American journalist who was an advocate of natural foods. He compared the super refined white flour to a "broken staff" because after undergoing many processes of perfecting its flour, it loses so many substances that are essential to the body. So instead of supporting the kids' growth, it only does half of the way; thus the term, "broken staff." So "walking with a broken staff" means growing with a broken trust on bread (staff of life) due to false advertisements.
For him, this is the reason why many children are dying at an earlier age nowadays compared before when all they could eat was unrefined flour. Many advertisements teach people how refining the flour is better and many people believe in it.
