FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE NUTRITIONAL DATA OBTAINED FROM A STUDY OF THE DIETS OF CHRONIC JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND OF JUVENILES WITH NO HISTORY OF ARREST DEMONSTRATES THAT THE DELINQUENT GROUP IS RECEIVING CONSIDERABLY MORE MICRO-NUTRIENTS AND MACRO-NUTRIENTS THAN THE NONOFFENDER CONTROL GROUP. INDICATIONS ARE, HOWEVER, THAT THE DELINQUENT GROUP EXHIBITS MALNUTRITION OF OVER-CONSUMPTION, RELATED TO INABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY PROCESS THE CALORIE INTAKE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE FROM THE AVAILABLE DATA WHETHER THE DELINQUENT GROUP'S DIETARY DIFFERENCES CAUSE THEIR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS OR WHETHER THEIR DIETS ARE A RESULT OF PREEXISTING COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. THE HIGH MILK INTAKE RESULTS IN GENERAL PROTEIN EXCESSES, AND PARTICULAR CHEMICAL PROCESSES DUE TO THE UNIQUE COMPOSITION OF MILK INCREASE BRANCHED AMINO ACIDS, WHICH ULTIMATELY AFFECT NEURO-TRANSMISSION TO THE BRAIN, POTENTIALLY ALTERING BEHAVIOR. MOREOVER, HIGH PROTEIN INTAKE CAN PRODUCE A MALABSORPTION SYNDROME AND AUTO-INTOXICATION, AND COUPLED WITH VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION. SINCE DELINQUENT DIETS WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVELY RICH IN ZINC AND LOW IN COPPER, COPPER MATALOENZYME DEFICIENCY IS POSSIBLE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED OF ALL THE ABOVE BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS, AS WELL AS STUDIES OF POSSIBLE FOOD ALLERGIES AND METABOLISM IMPLICATIONS. SPECIFIC VARIABLES RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY INCLUDE THE EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE SUGAR CONSUMPTION FROM LACTOSE AND OBSERVED BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF MILK, SUCH AS WHOLE OR LOW-FAT. NO DEFINITIVE CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP HAS AS YET BEEN DEMONSTRATED BETWEEN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND DIET. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. SEE ALSO NCJ#'S 60531 AND 65208. (MRK)