Malnutrition arm

2002/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Malnutrition is measured by body mass index (BMI), i.e. by the number given by the square of a person's height. When this number is less than 16, malnutrition is usually hard. The index invents children, but adults often fail. In fact, when in old age the column is compressed and contracted, the corresponding indexes are obtained.

Consequently, the malnutrition of adults lends very little. The team of researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Suraiya Ismail, has analyzed the relationship between arm length and person weight, and has been a good indicator of the BMI index.

Therefore, they propose to use this indicator to know the nutritional status of older people. The research has been carried out in Ethiopia, but the problem is of all poor countries and, although it has been despised, large-scale. It is estimated that within 50 years 80% of those over 60 will live in those countries.