Commingling in the distributions of fat-related measures in Punjabi families

The distribution of anthropometric measurements related to fatness levels is examined to determine if skewness alone accounts for the nonnormality of such measures. A mixture of two normal distributions or a single skewed distribution fit the data significantly better than a single normal in all cases. For maximum hip width, knee diameter, and weight, two skewed distributions give a better fit than one skewed distribution, rejecting the null hypothesis of a single distribution even when skewness is considered. There is evidence for three skewed component distributions for biceps skinfold. Abdomen circumference, upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold, and calf skinfold are best approximated by a one component log-normal distribution. Children and parents show slightly different patterns in skewness and kurtosis when considered separately, but differences between them do not account for the commingling found in the combined distributions.