The science of nutrition has advanced beyond expectation since Antoine La voisier as early as the 18th century showed that oxygen was necessary to change nutrients in foods to compounds which would become a part of the human body. He was also the first to measure metabolism and to show that oxidation within the body produces heat and energy. In the two hundred years that have elapsed, the essentiality of nitrogen-containing nutrients and of proteins for growth and maintenance of tissue has been established; the ne cessity for carbohydrates and certain types of fat for health has been docu mented; vitamins necessary to prevent deficiency diseases have been identified and isolated; and the requirement of many mineral elements for health has been demonstrated. Further investigations have defined the role of these nutrients in metabolic processes and quantitated their requirements at various stages of development. Additional studies have involved their use in the possible prevention of, and therapy for, disease conditions."

This new volume outlines methods of monitoring growth and weight gain, an essential clinical service. The alternative methods described here will be of particular use to workers in Third World countries where the cost of scales as well as illiteracy and cultural differences make weight-plotting especially difficult. Readers will find outlines of such innovative methods as the use of arm growth tape, simplified techniques of weight plotting, and helpful algorithms for decision-making. Among the book's appendices is a point system for comparative evaluation of weighing scales. Many illustrations help clarify the material presented in the text, making this book valuable in the classroom as well as in the field.