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A study was made into the effect of the age at which meat was first included in the diet on a series of haematological parameters and biochemical indicators of iron status in 94 pre-school children (aged 2–6 years) from Madrid (Spain). Those children who first took meat during their eighth month of life or earlier (Group A) showed better iron status that did those who were introduced to meat later (Group B). Significant differences were found in hemoglobin levels (P < 0.01), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (P < 0.05), serum ferritin (P < 0.05), transferrin levels (P < 0.05) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (P < 0.001). Some 13.8% of all subjects showed iron deficiency and 5.3% showed ferropenic anaemia. These latter subjects were the last to have meat included in their diets (9.3 ± 1.2 months compared to 7.4 ± 2.0 months in those without ferropenic anaemia) (P < 0.05). It would appear that the age at which meat is included in the diet has an important effect on iron status in pre-school children. Delaying its inclusion beyond the age of eight months seems to be associated whith an impairment of later iron status.

In developed societies there is a growing interest in the control of body weight. However, alongside legitimate health concerns with respect to being overweight, some exhibit worries which are driven by fashion, vanity or peer pressure. This study investigates the relationship between concern over body weight, anthropometric parameters (real and desired) and the intake of energy (measured by means of a seven day food record), in a group of 130 young, female university students. The body mass index (BMI) of this group (21.3 ± 2.3 kg/m 2 ) fell within the normal range for such subjects though there was a fairly high percentage of young women (28.4%) with BMI 2 - a figure that qualifies these persons as slim or slightly underweight. Only 6.2% had BMI > 25 kg/m 2 indicating an excess of weight. However, 65% of subjects expressed a desire to lose some weight and 33% had at some time followed a slimming diet. Those who wished to lose weight showed a higher BMI than those who expressed no such desire, though 6.2% did show BMI 2 . Only 35% of subjects did not wish to lose weight and did not think of themselves as fat. Although their BMI was fairly low (19.6 ± 1.4 kg/m 2 ) (P 2 (calculated by subtracting the number of kg desired to be lost from true body weight). This value is at the lower limit of the normal range, indicating that subjects' ideal model of beauty was to be very thin. The desired BMI was very similar for all subjects, whether they thought themselves fat or not. These results show that a large percentage of the women studied (45.4%) would like to lose weight to a point where their BMI is below normal limits (20 Kg/m 2 ). This could be a danger to their health and to the maintenance of a satisfactory nutritional status.

There are powerful social and psychological motivators that oblige a high proportion of women to restrict their energy intake for purely aesthetic reasons. The purpose of this research was to assess the relationships between concern regarding body weight and energy balance in a group of female university students from Madrid, Spain, with respect to differences in body mass index (BMI).126 subjects completed a questionnaire asking if they were happy with their body weight, if they considered themselves fat, and if they would like to lose some weight. Energy intake was measured by means of a 7-day food record. Food intake was recorded by weight, except for that consumed away from home which was recorded using traditional household quantities. A comparison of energy intake and estimated energy expenditure was performed, using equations proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), to provide a measure of the under- or overestimation of intake.All subjects with BMIor = 25 kg/m2 (6.2% of the total) described themselves as fat. 71.4% had, at some time, followed a weight-reduction diet. However, even among subjects with BMI20 kg/m2 (28.4% of the total), 2.9% thought themselves fat and 17.1% had at some time followed a slimming diet. This shows excessive concern over losing weight in some women. Estimated energy expenditure was similar to energy intake in subjects with BMI20 kg/m2. However, as BMI rose (with a corresponding increase in theoretical energy expenditure), the reported energy intake decreased. It is therefore likely that underestimation of energy intake increased with BMI (r = 0.4498).These results indicate that a large percentage of the women studied would like to lose weight until they reach, or indeed exceed, the lower limit of the acceptable normal range. This could be a danger to their health. Underestimation of energy intake was found to increase with BMI, a phenomenon that should be kept in mind when designing diet studies.