Secular trend in milk consumption and growth in Japan.

Changes in the pattern of human growth and the relevant environmental factors in Japan were reported in this journal in 1966. There have been some changes since. From the 1960s to the 1970s there has been an unprecedented acceleration of growth in height of children in Japan as well as great economic growth. The peculiar geographic distribution as well as the urban-rural discrepancy of growth in height formerly noted are now disappearing. The connection between economic growth and physical growth may be interpreted by reference to nutritional data. This reconfirms the importance of the spread of milk drinking, a part of the National School Lunch Program, as a primary influence on the growth of Japanese children. In Japan, the growth status of school children has been examined every April and May since 1900. Statistical data on a probability sample are reported every year by the Ministry of Education. In this paper these growth data are used to describe trends in growth during this century and to examine the influence of school-based nutritional programs on physical growth. Economic Growth and Growth in Height Figure 1 shows cross-sectional curve of growth in 1900, 1930, 1960 and 1975. The increase in height in the last 15 years is almost equal to that of the 30 year periods 1900-1930 and 1930-1960. Figure 2 shows the increase in height of boys of each age from 6 to 17 years between 1900 and 1930, 1930 and 1960 and 1960 and 1975. The increase in height of boys in the first of these periods is less than in either of the other two periods. The increase in the second 30 year period, 1930-1960, is nearly the same as in the 15 years of 1960-1975, except at ages 12-14 years, which correspond to the period of the adolescent growth spurt. The greater increase in height of boys at these ages in the last 15 years is fairly specific. The greater growth in height for the period of 1960-1975 seems to imitate the rapid growth of the Japanese economy. Engel s coefficient, the ratio of expenditure for food to all living expenditure, calculated on ^achiman 4-10, Sendai 980, Japan Ilwnan Biology, September 1984, Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 427-437. © Wayne State University Press, 1984 This content downloaded from 40.77.167.32 on Sun, 31 Jul 2016 04:24:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms