La desnutrición crónica y su efecto generacional sobre el crecimiento: Aporte de los estudios de antropología biológica experimental

Abstract

El análisis del crecimiento humano en el campo de la Antropología reviste especial interés, debido a que permite abordar la compleja interacción entre factores biológicos y socio-ambientales. El crecimiento humano es la expresión fenotípica del potencial genético de cada individuo modulado por factores externos (Rosenbloom, 2007).The prevalent form of malnutrition in human populations is characterized by itschronic and generational nature. Many people around the world live in deficientenvironments, with scarce economic resources and poor sanitation; further, thediets of children are deficient and unbalanced throughout life. Considering themultiplicity of factors that define these environments characterized by povertyand marginalization, malnutrition solely would not affect physical growth. Inthis sense, experimental studies allow us to isolate the aspect to be investigated(nutritional) and to use experimental animals (such as the rat), thus facilitatingthe study of many generations in a short time, which is impossible when humanpopulations are considered. We performed a review of studies addressing thisissue, particularly those in which the experimental method was used. We focusedespecially in the work developed by the research group led by Héctor Pucciarelliat the National University of La Plata.