Human adaptation and accommodation /

Frisancho's book is based on his long-standing research on human adaptation to high altitudes; he is also well known for developing anthropometric standards for the assessment of the nutritional status of growing children. The first part of the book briefly describes the principles of human adaptation and is followed by a second on principles of thermoregulation and adaptation to both heat and cold stresses, citing population studies from many parts of the world. Parts 3 and 4 discuss adaptation to solar radiation in relation to skin color and high altitude, respectively. A fourth part deals with human adaptation to acute and chronic undernutrition during pregnancy, lactation, and growth; the last section focuses on accommodation to industrialization of dietary habits, and diseases such as breast and colon cancer, coronary artery disease, and obesity. The hypotheses proposed by the book are supported by citations of results from human and animal studies. Whenever appropriate, physiological, biochemical, and nutritional principles and processes are summarized and schematically integrated with the basic conceptual framework. Chapter references; appendixes include conversion factors and a glossary. Upper-division undergraduate through professional. N. S. Springer; University of Michigan