Estimated fat, bone mineral, total body water and cell solids in females of two communities of Punjab, India.

The data for the present study consist of 502 Jat-Sikh and 510 Bania females of Punjab (India), ranging in age from 20 to 80 years. The different components of the body i.e. fat, bone mineral, total body water and cell solids have been calculated from anthropometric measurements by applying different equations given by various investigators. While studying age changes in different components of the body, it is the fat component, which has undergone major fluctuations past maturity. It has increased significantly from age-group 20-29 to 40-49 in both Jat-Sikh and Bania females. A significant decrease in fat has been observed from age-group 60-69 to 70 +. The bone minerals have exhibited little changes with age. The total body water and cell solids show a significant increase from age-group 20-29 to 30-39, followed by a decrease in both the communities. The decrease in these two components is statistically significant from age-group 40-49 to 50-59 in Bania females only. While comparing the two communities it has been observed that bone minerals are significantly larger in Jat-Sikh females, and fat is significantly larger in Bania females except in the last two age-groups. The other two components i.e. total body water and cell solids show statistically non-significant differences in the two communities.