How Appropriate are International Anthropometric Standards

The author, as a PhD student of the University of London while working in Papua New Guinea, assessed the nutritional status of pre-school aged children using international anthropometric standards. Investigative areas were urban, non-urban; and coastal, mountainous. The study took place at the time without all the modern conveniences, facing hardships such as absence of electricity, hot water, landslides, malaria, threats of wild animals such as crocodiles etc. Survey results found that some areas have malnutrition rate as high as 60% even though population then have not been exposed to the modern western diets. But how appropriate are the international standards for the growing children of this developing countries?