ISBN 0-8493-8736-1) 422 pages, hardcover. US$69.95/£46.99.Childhood obesity is increasing rapidly, not only in industrialized but also in developing countries in transition. It is cause for alarm that it commonly leads to adult obesity. Adult obesity is already endemic in most industrialized countries and is rapidly increasing in the more advanced developing countries as well. The result is an increase in morbidity and mortality from diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases. The implications for developing countries are more serious because of evidence that fetal and infant malnutrition increases susceptibility to these chronic diseases in adults. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive compilation of available information as a basis for combating the epidemic of adult obesity.Both authors are world authorities on exercise physiology and have applied their expertise to such a treatise. The first 11 chapters review in detail the main characteristics of childhood obesity, including epidemiology, stages of development, physical characteristics, energy expenditure and activity, evaluation of functional status, food intake, biochemical and hormonal characteristics, psychological aspects, and health problems.The second section on treatment and management principles begins with a valuable 55-page chapter on the effects of various reduction therapies, followed by 35 pages on practical measures for weight management during the growing years. This book provides a wealth of well-presented and valuable information for all who are interested in this increasingly important subject.Proteins of iron metabolism. Ugo Testa. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., USA, 2002 (ISBN 0-8493-8676-4) 559 pages, hardcover, US$199.95/£134.00.

This study was conducted in the Tafresh area of Iran to assess the dietary patterns, time allocation, and nutritional status of rural women in relation to their participation in mixed farming activities. We selected 75 women from 40 villages by applying a stratified random-sampling technique. Cereals and grains were the major source of energy intake. According to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) tables of India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the respondents seemed to have no micronutrient and energy deficiencies during the spring season. They spent most of their time and energy on household, animal husbandry, and crop farming activities. According to measurements of body mass index (BMI), the respondents were well nourished. However, despite the high level of BMI, analysis suggested a negative energy balance. Nevertheless, analysis indicated that rural women with negative energy balance spent more time and energy in mixed farming and had a higher level of participation in related activities. Hence, it is evident from the results that the physical contribution of rural women in mixed farming activities has a detrimental effect on their nutritional status, at least during some parts of the year (e.g., spring or summer). Therefore, there is a need to adjust nutritional interventions to improve the sustainability of their food intake and to develop appropriate technologies in mixed farming to alleviate their work burdens.

The Primary purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of use of educational methods and subject matter delivered by Extensionagents in South Karnataka, India.