Conclusions: Twenty Years of Anthropometric History in Ibero-America: Achievements, Consensus, and Challenges
摘要
We conclude by assessing the progress made by Anthropometric History in Ibero-America during the last twenty years. This chapter examines the long-run trends in mean heights and net-nutrition inequality for about a dozen countries. We underscore the differences in stature growth among groups of countries: some experienced high increases in stature, while others exhibited low or no growth. We discuss the possible causes for those countries that present rising height inequality, and evaluate the persistence of differences in mean heights by region, occupation, and educational level. Next, we revisited the transition from export-led growth to domestic and state-led industrialization, this time evaluated in terms of biological wellbeing. We summarize findings that connect changes in stature with public health policies and the evolution of infectious disease. Next, we discuss the anthropometric disparities associated with ethnicity and race; and try to provide information about sexual dimorphism for the few countries with available sources on female heights. Finally, we pose the question of the relationship between economic growth and biological welfare, underlining the relative advantage of Spain and Portugal over Latin American populations, particularly in the second half of the twenty century.