Child anthropomorphy in the mid-20th century in the Maltese Islands

Background: Childhood obesity is has over the last decades become a major health issue in the Maltese population. A review of the mid-20th century child health concerns in Malta would help elucidate the pathophysiology of this current epidemic and determine whether the rise is genetic or a consequence of changes in nutritional and activity habits. Methods: The present study compares the body weight data of Maltese children aged 5-14 years measured in 1949 and compares these with corresponding published standards for English children published in 1965, and to data for Maltese children aged 5 and 9 years with anthropomorphic data of comparable cohort of children measured in 2009. Results: The data suggests that in the mid-20th century, Maltese children were markedly under-nourished when compared to their British counterparts. Maltese children today are shown to be particularly overweight-obese. Conclusion: The problems related to body weight in childhood have come a full circle from concerns with under-nutrition in the mid-20th century to concerns with over-nutrition in the later part of the century. Both extremes are associated with metabolic consequences that increase the likelihood of adult-onset metabolic disease, unless controlled and catered for during childhood.peer-reviewe

Measurement of brood patch temperature of British passerines using an infrared thermometer

Capsule An infrared ear thermometer can be easily used to measure brood patch temperature in passerines caught on the nest or in mist-nets