This study, which focuses on a plantation, as well as the study by Bidinger et al., which concerns a village, failed to find the marked seasonal changes in food consumption reported for many other parts of the world. It would be a serious mistake to consider that these studies contradict in any way the findings of those who report seasonal variations They are published, however, as a reminder that generalizations cannot be used to predict specific cases and that, conversely, great caution must be used in generalizing from specific cases. The characteristics of the sites in both studies offer adequate explanation of why they did not fit the expected pattern of seasonal variation despite distinct rainy and dry seasons and harvest and non-harvest periods. It should be noted, however, that both Valverde et al. and Bidinger et al. did observe the anticipated marked seasonal differences in morbidity from diarrhoeal and other infectious diseases.
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