This study was designed to find out about the body composition of ordinary Japanese adults, and to clarify how gender and age have effects on it. The subjects were volunteers living in the northern, central and western parts of Japan. They consisted of 154 males and 142 females aged 20 to 59 years. Their body height and weight did not differ by more than 1 S. D. from the mean of the given age category cited in the Japanese Ministry of Education Annual Report. Body composition was estimated from densitometry using an underwater weighing method and pulmonary residual volume measurement. Within each age group, there were significant differences in body height, weight, body density, percentage body fat, lean body weight, fat per 1 m of body height and lean body weight per 1 m of body height, but there was no significant difference in fat between males and females. Percentage body fat and fat increased significantly with age in both genders. The rate of increases of fat were calculated to be 14.2% for males and 10.7% for females per decade. Lean body weight decreased significantly with age in males, decreasing at a rate of 3.3%. However, the lean body weight of females stayed constant over the given ages of this study. These results show that the difference in body weight between males and females is caused by lean body mass, not by fat.

A study was performed to evaluate the physiological function of elite senior high school soccer players (Kunimi) . Forty-six players were evaluated for cardiorespiratory function (maximum oxygen uptake : Vo₂max, maximum oxygen debt : Max O₂ debt), body composition (underwater weighing) and skinfold thickness, all parameters being measured four times over a two-year period.
The following means were recorded : age, 17.8 yr ; height, 173.0 cm ; weight, 65.8 kg ; percentage body fat (%Fat), 10.0%; lean body mass (LBM kg), 59.2 kg ; LBM/Ht (kg/m), 34.2 ; sum of eight skinfold thicknesses, 63.5 mm ; Vo₂max, 60.0 ml/kg⋅min ; maximum ventilation (V_Emax, BTPS), 136.8l/min ; maximum oxygen debt ; 8.2l, 124.8 ml/kg.
Results for percentage body fat, Vo₂max (ml/kg⋅min) and Max O₂ debt (ml/kg) were compared with values found in other soccer players at various levels.
In summary, one of the most outstanding attributes of the Kunimi senior high school soccer players was a high level of both aerobic power and anaerobic power.

A study was conducted to evaluate dietary intake, food intake pattern and blood composition in athletes over a 4-year period from 1988 to 1991. We measured the mean daily intakes (energy and nutrient intakes, PFC rates, minerals and vitamins) from 3-day dietary records for 110 highly trained male athletes (swimming, track & field, canoeing, soccer, cycling and weight-lifting) and 87 female athletes (swimming, track & field, canoeing, basketball and volleyball) living in Nagasaki Prefecture. We compared these measurements with the recom-mended dietary allowances (RDA) for normal Japanese. Energy, fat, calcium and iron intakes were below the RDA, especially for most female athletes and male weight-lifters.
The following mean values were obtained
[MALE] SOCCER (Senior High School boys) : Energy intake 3241 kcal ; Protein 106.2 g ; Fat 88.6g ; PFC rates P (13.2%), F ( 25.0%), C (61.8%) . CANOEING (Senior High School boys) : Energy 2830 kcal ; Protein 99.2g ; Fat 83.9g ; PFC rates P (14.1%), F (26.3%), C (59.6%) . TRACK & FIELD (Adults) : Energy 2870 kcal ; Protein 105.4 g ; Fat 89.3 g ; PFC rates P (13.2%), F (25.0%), C (61.8%) .
[FEMALE] BASKETBALL (Adults) : Energy 1866 kcal ; Protein 70.0 g ; Fat 51.9 g ; PFC rates P (15.0%), F (25.1%), C (59.9%) . BASKETBALL (Senior High School girls) : Energy 2421 kcal ; Protein 88.9 g ; Fat 90.9 g ; PFC rates P (14.8%), F (34.0%), C (51.1%) . VOLLEYBALL (Senior High School girls) : Energy 2290 kcal ; Protein 71.6g ; Fat 72.1 g ; PFC rates P (12.6%), F (28.4%), C (59.0%) .

A survey of physical mesurements, blood pressure, blood mesurements and frequency of food consumption was conducted on 152 males and 229 females, aged 40 to 65 years, from three rural districts in Saga prefecture. The districts were Ariake (flatland area), Kohhoku (intermediate area) and Yamanouchi (mountainous area). While, on the aged -above 70 years, a questionnaire on daily living and health condioion was investigated.
The results were summarized as follows:
1) The values of skinfold thickness differed little among the districts. The rate of obesity by skinfold thickness both in male and female was lower than the result of National Dietary Survey in 1981. However, the average skinfold thickness in females were higher a little compared with the values of our suruey in same region in 1971.
2) The prevalence rate of anemia in females was remarkably high (below 12g/dl of hemoglobin, 34%). It presumed that agricultural work load might heavy, and nutrients intake correspond to the work load was insufficient.
3) From the results of frequency of food consumption, inhabitants in Ariake compared with Kohhoku more frequently intaked modern food e. g. meat, milk. On the other hand, Kohhoku was higher in blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio, and lower in triglyceride, total choresterol than Ariake. We guessed that the food consumption pattern mainly affect on the results of blood pressure and serum lipids.
4) In relation to the correlation matrix which calculated on all districts, the higher the obesity, the higher the blood pressure, triglyceride, total cholesterol and cholinesterase activity, whereas the obesity decreased HDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio.
5) Among 90 persons aged above 70 years, the rate of ones who can not work from physically disability, and who have any desease was 18%, 51% respectively.