American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 22, 519-526, Copyright © 1969 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Studies on Physiology of Nutrition in Surinam

XII. Nutrition and Development of Muscular, Skeletal, and Adipose Tissues in Surinam Children

The widths of subcutaneous fat, muscular tissues, and compact bone were measured from radiographs of the hand and arm in various groups of Surinam children aged 6-12 years.

The Hindustani groups had more adipose tissue and less muscular tissue than the Creole groups. Both groups had less adipose and muscular tissue than American children.

There was no difference in width of compact bone compared with American children, although only 9% of the calorie value of the Surinam children's diet is supplied by proteins, and this diet supplies only 0.4 g calcium/day.

There was also no difference in width of cortical substance between Javanese boarding-school children in Surinam, with a daily milk intake of 400 ml, and Javanese schoolchildren whose daily milk intake is only a fraction of this value.