Nutrition and Malnutrition : Springer : 9781468432541 : 1468432540 : 13 Mar 2012 : The Burg Wartenstein Symposia have become rightly celebrated for achieving their original purpose: to be of service and interest to the anthropological profes­ sion as a whole and to contribute to related sciences. We are specially grateful to the Board of Directors of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research for the award of a symposium on Physical Anthropology and Nutritional Status. We had considered that such a subject was timely and that an inter-disciplinary approach would contribute useful knowledge in a most important area--particularly in the field of child health. This pUblication of the proceedings will show the degree of success of these aims. Mrs. Lita Osmundsen, Director of Research at the Wenner-Gren Foundation, not only steered us in the early stages but, during our delightful time at Burg Wartenstein, and subsequently, she has been that most charming of crosses--den mother