A weighted total of 630 pupils aged 14–15 in Glasgow schools, about
evenly divided between pupils of South Asian and non-Asian (overwhelmingly
British) background, were measured for height and weight and compared with
previous results for a similar Glasgow sample aged 30–40. Among
14–15-year-olds, British Asians were not so short compared with non-Asians as
among 30–40-year-olds, especially females. Among 30–40-year-old Glasgow Asians
only 7% were born in the UK, while among 14–15-year-old Glasgow Asians 86%
were so born, indicating that they are the children of migrants. Generational
differences in these comparisons cannot be due to positive selection of the
migrant generation for height, and are attributed to improved environment,
including nutrition and public health measures. This suggests the possibility
of corresponding improvements in coronary and diabetic risk.