PHYSIQUE OF OUR YOUTH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1631, 31 October 1916, Page 4

PHYSIQUE OF OUR YOUTH.

G BA DUAL IMPROVEMENT.

One of the heads of a Dunedin cutters’ and clot hors’ business, which since (ho outbreak of the war has turned out thousands of uniforms, recently gave some interesting information regarding the (diesl measurements of the young men of the. Dominion to an Auckland Herald representative. He. showed a chart which went to prove that in a very great majority of cases (he idlest measurements over clothes ranged from 34in. to 3(iin., an equivalent to 32in. to 34in. next the skin. Of course, said (he informant, from about 25 years onward men may get fatter round the idlest and thus record a bigger chest; measurement, but this does not mean an actual increase in lung power. He went on (o remark that, the physique of the boys now coming under his observation was much belter limn was the ease some years baek, and that, eadels, for instance, were showing a gradually improving development. \\ hen asked for an explanation of the eause ot the improvement, the clothier said that in his opinion it was the result of two things. In the lirst plaee the conditions of life in Mow Zealand some 20 to 20 years ago were very much harder than they have been since, and i he offspring of the parents o? that period were as a consequence not so hardy or virile, speaking generally, as they should have been. In the second place, the hoys and girls were now better led and eared for and given greater opportunities to go in for physical eullnre, and they were beginning to show the effect of that cure and culture. Hoys of IS or 10 years of age to-day were noticeably belter developed Ilian boys of even live to ten years ago.