Standards of the Present for People of the Past: Height, Weight, and Mortality among Men of Amherst College, 1834–1949

1997 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Murray

Whether anthropometric-mortality risk relationships as found in present day populations also characterized past populations is disputed. This article finds U-shaped body mass index (BMI)-mortality risk relationships among nineteenth-century men that were similar to such relationships as found in twentieth-century men. No relationship between height and mortality could be detected. This article infers from the socioeconomic homogeneity of the sample that the BMI-mortality risk relationship, although apparently invariant with respect to time, is driven by noneconomic factors.

1997 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Murray

Whether anthropometric-mortality risk relationships as found in present day populations also characterized past populations is disputed. This article finds U-shaped body mass index (BMI)-mortality risk relationships among nineteenth-century men that were similar to such relationships as found in twentieth-century men. No relationship between height and mortality could be detected. This article infers from the socioeconomic homogeneity of the sample that the BMI-mortality risk relationship, although apparently invariant with respect to time, is driven by noneconomic factors.


Diabetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 2086-P
Author(s):  
ERIC NYLEN ◽  
PETER KOKKINOS ◽  
CHARLES FASELIS ◽  
PUNEET NARAYAN ◽  
PAMELA KARASIK ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald G. Knapp

AbstractAmerica’s first documented wooden covered bridge was erected at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805. Hundreds were constructed within two decades and at least 10,000 by the later 1800s. As settlers moved West, broad rivers were crossed with inventive structures incorporating timber trusses ingeniously developed by carpenters. Called covered bridges because of the roof and siding needed to protect the timber trusses, they became ubiquitous features on the American landscape. Over the past two centuries, most covered bridges were lost to flood, ice, arson, lightening, decay, as well as “progress,” replaced by “modern” iron, concrete, and steel spans. Of some 700 covered bridges remaining, many are mere replicas of their original forms no longer supported by timber trusses. Genuine historic bridges remain largely from the last half of the 1800s while civic boosterism has led to claims of earlier dates with often questionable authenticity. This essay presents three wooden covered bridges constructed in the 1820s along a 10-mile stretch of the Wallkill River in New Paltz, New York. Of the three, only Perrine’s Bridge, constructed first in 1821 and covered in 1822, is still standing with intact Burr timber trusses. Perrine’s is an iconic structure with exceptional heritage value because of authentic re-building and restoration in 1834, 1846, 1917, and 1968. Using documentary records, this essay establishes an accurate intertwined chronology for the three bridges, detailing nineteenth century building practices and contentious mid-twentieth century struggles pitting preservationists wanting authentic restoration against those wanting removal.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuro Okamura ◽  
Yoshitaka Hashimoto ◽  
Masahide Hamaguchi ◽  
Akihiro Obora ◽  
Takao Kojima ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In this study, to clarify the evolving background of people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we compared the current prevalence of NAFLD with that of 2 decades ago. Methods We included two cohorts. The past cohort was from 1994 to 1997 and included 4279 men and 2502 women. The current cohort was from 2014 to 2017 and included 8918 men and 7361 women. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography. Results The prevalence of NAFLD increased in both genders throughout these 2 decades (18.5% in the past cohort and 27.1% in the current cohort for men; and 8.0% in the past cohort and 9.4% in the current cohort for women). The prevalence of hyperglycemia increased, whereas the prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and hypertriglyceridemia significantly decreased. There was no significant difference in the mean body mass index. Multivariate analysis revealed that the prevalence of obesity and body mass index were significantly associated with the prevalence of NAFLD in both the past and current cohorts. Conclusions The incidence of NAFLD significantly increased throughout these 2 decades, and obesity is the most prevalent factor. Thus, body weight management is an essential treatment option for NAFLD.


Author(s):  
Roderick Floud

This chapter explores evidence on the changing shape of the British human body, in particular its height and weight, in order to shed light on the past and possibly future standard of living of the British population. It focuses on anthropometric measures (based on height, weight, and body mass index) that are employed as indicators of material welfare of the population.


2020 ◽  
pp. 303-308
Author(s):  
Xiaoqun Xu

The conclusion points out the multidimensional interactions of many factors in the functions of Chinese law and justice in the past and present and delineates four overlapping historical contexts for an understanding of such functions. These are the indigenous traditions in the long history of China; Western influences from the nineteenth century and especially on the transformations in the twentieth century; interactions between lawmakers and state agents, and between state actions and societal responses; and the reality of justice being done in relative and imperfect ways under the best circumstances, due to human fallibility.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Woong-pyo Hong ◽  
Yu-Ji Lee

Abstract Background Although hemodialysis (HD) adequacy, single-pool Kt/Vurea (spKt/V), is inversely correlated with body size, each is known to affect patient survival in the same direction. Therefore, we sought to examine the relationship between HD adequacy and mortality according to body mass index (BMI) in HD patients and explore a combination effect of BMI and HD adequacy on mortality risk. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patient data from the Korean Society of Nephrology registry, a nationwide database of medical records of HD patients, from January 2001 to June 2017. We included patients ≥18 years old who were receiving maintenance HD. Patients were categorized into three groups according to baseline BMI (< 20 (low), 20 to < 23 (normal), and ≥ 23 (high) kg/m2). Baseline spKt/V was divided into six categories. Results Among 18,242 patients on HD, the median follow-up duration was 5.2 (IQR, 1.9–8.9) years. Cox regression analysis showed that, compared to the reference (spKt/V 1.2–1.4), lower and higher baseline spKt/V were associated with greater and lower risks for all-cause mortality, respectively. However, among patients with high BMI (n = 5588), the association between higher spKt/V and lower all-cause mortality was attenuated in all adjusted models (Pinteraction < 0.001). Compared to patients with normal BMI and spKt/V within the target range (1.2–1.4), those with low BMI had a higher risk for all-cause mortality at all spKt/V levels. However, the gap in mortality risk became narrower for higher values of spKt/V. Compared to patients with normal BMI and spKt/V in the target range, those with high BMI and spKt/V < 1.2 were not at increased risk for mortality despite low dialysis adequacy. Conclusions The association between spKt/V and mortality in HD patients may be modified by BMI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S683-S683
Author(s):  
Kulapong Jayanama ◽  
Olga Theou ◽  
Judith Godin ◽  
Leah Cahill ◽  
Kenneth Rockwood

Abstract Obesity is associated with higher risk of metabolic diseases. How body mass index (BMI) relates to mortality across frailty levels is controversial. We investigated the association of high BMI with frailty, and their effects on mortality. We included 36,583 participants aged ≥50 years from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohorts (7,372) and 29,211 participants aged ≥50 years from wave 1 (2004) of Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). BMI was categorized as: normal: 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, overweight: 25-29.9, obese I: 30-34.9 and obese II+III: &gt;35. A frailty index (FI) was constructed excluding nutrition-related items using 36 items for NHANES and 68 items for SHARE. Mortality data were obtained until 2015. All analyses were adjusted for educational, marital, working and smoking status. In participant aged 50-65 years, higher BMI was associated with greater frailty. Being obese level II+III increased mortality risk in male participants aged 50-65 years with FI≤0.1 [NHANES (hazard ratio (HR) 2.10, 95%CI 1.17-3.79); SHARE (2.35,1.14-4.87)]. In males aged &gt;65 years with FI&gt;0.3, being overweight and obese (any level) decreased mortality risk. In females aged 50-65 years, higher BMI was not associated with mortality across all frailty levels. BMI and frailty were cross-sectionally associated. The subsequent mortality impact differed by age, sex, and frailty. Obesity was not associated with mortality in middle-aged females, regardless of the degree of frailty. In males, obesity was harmful in those who were fit in middle age and protective in moderately/severely frail older ones.


Author(s):  
A. Zarankin ◽  
Melisa A. Salerno

Antarctica was the last continent to be known. Human encounters with the region acquired different characteristics over time. Within the framework of dominant narratives, the early ‘exploitation’ of the territory was given less attention than late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century ‘exploration’. Nineteenth-century exploitation was especially associated with sealing on the South Shetland Islands. Dominant narratives on the period refer to the captains of sealing vessels, the discovery of geographical features, the volume of resources obtained. However, they do not consider the life of the ordinary sealers who lived and worked on the islands. This chapter aims to show the power of archaeology to shed light on these ‘invisible people’ and their forgotten stories. It holds that archaeology offers a possibility for reimagining the past of Antarctica, calling for a revision of traditional narratives.


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