Weight/length classification of nutritional status.

The use of somatic measurements for the assessment of nutritional status is briefly reviewed. Two classifications using weight and length being advocated at present--those of McLaren and Read (1972) and Waterlow and Rutishauser (1974)--were applied to data from three sets of children surveyed in hospital and field studies. The results obtained differed considerably. The system of Waterlow and Rutishauser tended to underestimate the problem. A simple chart has been devised to aid the practical application of the classification of McLaren and Read.