Energy balance in early life.

Calorie balance in man 83 efficiency at the rate of zoo kcal/day, it would last for about 5 months. The loss in body-weight by lactating women confirms that such utilization of reserves does, in fact, occur (Hytten & Thomson, 1961). But breast-feeding is becoming the exception rather than the rule in Western society and, if it is not removed by lactation or exercise, the surplus of fat may represent the beginnings of obesity. We may therefore have to revise our ideas of ‘normality’ in the light of the customs in modern urban society.