Secular trends in height and weight of Japanese pupils

In the city of Sendai, the height and weight of pupils at the ages of 11.5 to 12.0 years and 14.5 to 15.0 years have been measured in every spring and autumn since 1936. The analyses of the data summarized for 40 years revealed reduction in physique of the pupils in early 1940's and a marked growth acceleration in late 1940's till 1960's, followed by reduction in secular growth rates in late 1970's. The reduction is more prominent in the core part of the city. The results are compared with those from two extremes in Japan, i.e., megalopolitan areas and remote areas, and also those from European and North American countries.