Re this discussion: in many many societies the difference in height and
strength of men and women has been probably due less to relative frequency of
picking up and more to do with the allocation of food resources within the
family; i.e. female members get less to eat (assumption that they *need* less)
and also the model of the mother who may, in situations of hardship, starve
herself to feed firstly the breadwinner and then the children, and probably
the male children first of those.
I can certainly remember, from my own experience, (female) servers in
canteens at university and work, who automatically gave men larger portions
than women (although 1 portion was automatically costed at a single price, no
size differentials!). But would guess that the crucial time for adult size, re
nutrition, would be infancy/early childhood.
Lesley
Lesley_Hall@classic.msn.com
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