Abstract: This study analysed the somatotypes of 3802 Chinese urban youths aged 7 through 18 by using the Heath-Carter Somatochart Method. Comparisons of the anthropometric measures and indices which used to determine somatotypes were made between boys and girls among all theseage groups. The changing trend of endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomor phic factors was ana-lysed, and the age and sex characteristics of somatotypic distributions were visually noted. On thebasis of plotting individual somatotypes of those aged 8, 13 and 18 in somatocharts, the diversities of somatotypes between and within age groups were described. The perspective applications of Heath-Carter Sonatochart Method in the physical anthropology and other scientificas pects werealso discussed by the authors.

Key words: Youth; Growth; Development; Somatotype