FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Anthropological Sciences (ANT): ANT-1

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Nutritional fitness for healthy bone development in Amazonian Indian women of childbearing age. F. BERTI. Univ. of Miami, Dept. of Anthropology, P.O. Box 248106, Coral Gables, FL 33124.  I present an analysis of data collected on nutritional ecology by D. L. Dufour and S. Stinson for women living in Amazonia.  Their data profiles dietary intake of females before, during, and after childbearing. Intake of proteins, minerals, and vitamins varied by seasonal availability of resources and cultural group.  Nutrient intake, such as calcium, and exercise are essential for bone health, development, and maintenance of mass because malnutrition impairs skeletal development before any other body system.  I found that during the rainy season females gather and eat specific plant foods that provide fat and protein.  Overall, their nutritional fitness was affected by 1) availability of resources, 2) socially-defined food preferences, and 3) heavy weight bearing activity. Although there is no universal dietary standard to ensure healthy bones, my analysis supports the lack of nutritional fitness for these Amazonian women according to USDA guidelines.