Journal of Biosocial Science

Table of Contents - 2009 - Volume 41, Issue 02  

Research Article

RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN BODY MASS INDICES FOR MALE CONVICTS IN NINETEENTH CENTURY PENNSYLVANIA

SCOTT ALAN CARSONa1a2

a1 School of Business, University of Texas, USA

a2 CESifo University of Munich, Germany

Summary

This paper demonstrates that although modern BMIs have increased, 19th century Middle-Atlantic black and white BMIs were in the normal range; neither underweight nor obese individuals were common. Farmers’ BMIs were consistently heavier than non-farmers. Philadelphia residents’ BMIs were lower than elsewhere within Pennsylvania, indicating that urbanization and agricultural commercialization were associated with current biological living standards in urbanized areas.