The three articles in this collection discuss secular trends and changes in (1) human stature, weight, and maturation, (2) body proportions and composition, and (3) size and maturity. (CM)

Childhood obesity starts at a very early age, and preventive measures taken early enough may retard the development of fat cells. It appears that physical activity plays an important role in reducing obesity. The activity program must start early, in preschool days. It is felt that screening children for obesity when they first enter school and…

Body size, composition, and conformation in a teen-age population, and associated factors were studied to obtain useful data for planning programs in public health nutrition. This book describes the purpose, methods, and findings of this four-year longitudinal and cross-sectional study conducted in Berkeley, California, during the years 1961 to…

A summary and discussion of a series of studies considered the dilemma that equal educational treatment of all children in public schools appears likely to increase the spread of differences among them in educational achievement. Longitudinal studies of pairs of identical and of fraternal twins in Sweden from 10 to 18 years of age considered the…

This booklet pertains to the size and the form of the human body in infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Historic and current information is presented for individuals in population groups of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Differences in size and growth patterns between urban and rural individuals of the same racial…