[Body constitution in children in Cuentepec, Morelos]

A somatometric estimation of the body constitution was made in 87 females and 72 males applying the values of weight and height, the muscle circumference and medial section of the left arm and fat area of that section. The material represented 28.57 and 23.61% respectively of the total number of the 5 to 19 years-old inhabitants of the Nahua community of Cuentepec, Morelos. Weight and height, -but specially the latter-were impaired, both in males as in females, but more markedly in the latter. The weight as expected for the height was not affected. The behavior of the total area of the arm was quite similar to that of the body weight. In contrast, in females under 14 years old, the muscle area of the arm was located as an average, slightly below the limits of normality; subsequently, it was normal. In males it was significantly lower than in females. The fat area was the most deteriorated and the defect was persistently greater in females than in males. All this means protection mechanisms of the active tissue mass (homeorrhesis) leading to a greater resistance in females, but at the same time, being responsible for a decrease in magnitude of the somatometric expression of the sexual dimorphism.