The American anthropometric norms are not suitable to assess the nutritional status of a French population.

Weight: height2 ratio (W/H2), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and mid-upper arm circumference (MAC) were recorded in 254 blood donors aged 20 to 59 yrs (123 men and 131 women), to establish anthropometric data in a healthy sample of the French population. When compared with the American anthropometric norms (HANES I & II), we noted that: (1) the percentiles distribution values of W/H2 were nearly identical; (2) the age and sex-related values of TSF were lower in our study (p < 0.003); (3) our percentiles distribution values of MAC were lower in our study (p < 0.03), except in women 20-39 yrs of age. The variations of TSF and MAC with age and sex were identical in both the French and the American populations: i.e. the MAC values increased with age in both men and women, and the TSF values increased with age only in women. We conclude that the differences noted between the American norms and our anthropometric data plead in favour of the determination of French national anthropometric norms.