Growth as a mirror: Is endocrine disruption challenging Tanner's concept?

Abstract

Background James Tanner coined the expression `Growth as a Mirror' and summarized in four words the results of more than a century of research on growth. Nineteenth century social reformers saw poor child growth as a reflection of terrible environmental conditions of the working class. Later investigators in anthropology and other fields clarified the connections between poor nutrition, disease, psychosocial stress and poor growth. Aim To evaluate the growth as a mirror concept in light of recent studies of endocrine disruption. Papers and Implications Pollution is recognized as a prominent component of the modern environment. From studies of many pollutants it is clear that some pollutants depress growth while others speed sexual maturation and increase growth, primarily in weight and fatness. While such unwelcome environmental features do not always suppress growth, growth still mirrors the environment in all its complexity and this relationship is key to understanding growth patterns today. For example, Akwesasne Mohawk adolescents are characterized by high rates of obesity and overweight. Their growth reflects the multiple intersecting influences of psychosocial stress, several pollutant exposures and limited dietary chokes. Conclusion Although Tanner did not anticipate the myriad influences of pollutants, the growth as a mirror concept continues to have great validity and utility.

Moscow children: a century of growth dynamics

“…[Èñòîðèÿ Ìîñêâû, 2019]. À òàêèå ôàêòîðû êàê óðîâåíü òåõíîãåííûõ è èíûõ çàãðÿçíåíèé îêðóaeàþùåé ñðåäû, ïðîâîöèðóþùèå ýíäîêðèííûå íàðóøåíèÿ, îêàçûâàþòñÿ ñåãîäíÿ äîìèíèðóþùèìè íàä «òðàäèöèîííûìè» ñîöèàëüíî-ýêîíîìè÷åñêèìè [Schell, 2014;Schell et al, 2009Schell et al, , 2012. Îòìåòèì, ÷òî ãîëëàíäñêèå àóêñîëîãè îäíèì èç âàaeíûõ ôàêòîðîâ ñåêóëÿðíîãî óâåëè÷åíèÿ, â ÷àñòíîñòè, äëèíû òåëà, ïîìèìî óëó÷øåíèÿ ïèòàíèÿ, îáðàçîâàòåëüíîãî óðîâíÿ, ãèãèåíû, çäîðîâüÿ äåòåé ïîëàãàþò óìåíüøåíèå Вестник Московского университета.…”

“…ôàêò, ÷òî ðîñòîâûå ïðîöåññû èìåþò ëîêàëüíûå îñîáåííîñòè, îòðàaeàþùèå ñóììó êîíêðåòíûõ îáñòîÿòåëüñòâ ðîñòà è ðàçâèòèÿ ðåáåíêà [Tanner, 1987;Schell et al, 2012], â òîì ÷èñëå óðîâåíü îáùåñòâåííîãî ðàçâèòèÿ è êóëüòóðíûå òðàäèöèè, è ðàçëè÷àþòñÿ â ýòíè÷åñêèõ ãðóïïàõ, çàíèìàþùèõ îäíó ýêîëîãè÷åñêóþ íèøó. Íàïðèìåð, äåòè ìàðîêêàíñêîãî è òóðåöêîãî ïðîèñõîaeäåíèÿ, ïðîaeèâàþùèå â Íèäåðëàíäàõ, ñóùåñòâåííî íèaeå ñâîèõ ãîëëàíäñêèõ ðîâåñíèêîâ, ïðè ýòîì ó ìàðîêêàíñêèõ äåâî÷åê áîëåå âûñîêèé âåñîðîñòîâîé èíäåêñ è áîëåå ðàííèé ñðåäíèé âîçðàñò ìåíàðõå, à ó òóðåöêèõ äåòåé ÷àùå âñòðå÷àåòñÿ ïðåâûøåíèå âåñà, ÷òî íåèçáåaeíî äîëaeíî áûòü çàôèêñèðîâàíî â îòäåëüíûõ ýòíè÷åñêèõ ðîñòîâûõ ñòàíäàðòàõ [Fredriks et al, 2003[Fredriks et al, , 2004.…”

Bergmann’s rule is a “just-so” story of human body size

“…They also emphasized that there is a “significant developmental component” to adult body mass and surface area. According to Katzmarzyk and Leonard, and many other researchers [ 24 , 39 , 40 ], during the years of growth and development, the intake of more or less food, more or less of any essential nutrient, and more or less physical activity (and the type of activity) could influence body shape, body size, and body composition (fatness and muscularity).…”

Differentiating effects of socio-economic factors on relative weight and nutritional status in Polish schoolchildren across intergenerational changes

“…In epidemiological auxology, one of the most acknowledged theories is Tanner's idea that the growth of children is a mirror of the socio-economic conditions (2) . However, it should be emphasised that the process of human growth has a high level of complexity and may be an effect of different, multiple factors (3)(4)(5) . Nevertheless, relative weight and nutritional status, to some extent differently than human stature (6) , are most directly related to the influence of food resources and socio-economic conditions providing appropriate access to them, as well as the adequate quality of these products.…”