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Clinical Anthropometrics and Body Composition from 3-Dimensional Optical Imaging
Published on: June 7, 2024
BMI compared with 3-dimensional body shape: the UK National Sizing Survey
Jonathan C K Wells1, Philip Treleaven, Tim J Cole
1Childhood Nutrition Research Centre and the Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|February 8, 2007
Summary
Body Mass Index (BMI) and body shape relationships vary by sex and age. Three-dimensional (3-D) body scanning offers new ways to study health risks associated with human body shape.
Area of Science:
- Anthropometry
- Biometrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Human body shape provides health and disease risk insights.
- Manual anthropometry is time-consuming; clinical practice relies on Body Mass Index (BMI).
- Three-dimensional (3-D) body scanning offers detailed digital shape information.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between body shape and BMI.
- Examine how age and sex influence body shape.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 9617 adults (UK National Sizing Survey).
- Utilized 3-D body scans to measure body girths and ratios.
- Collected data on weight, height, age, and sex.
Main Results:
- BMI correlated with chest/waist (men) and hips/bust (women).
- Sex-based shape differences diminished with age.
- Male shape was stable; women gained waist girth and lost thigh girth with age.
- Waist circumference varied widely for a given BMI.
Conclusions:
- Sex and age significantly modify BMI-shape associations.
- An inverse height-waist relationship in men may indicate genetic or early growth influences on obesity.
- 3-D scanning is a novel tool for epidemiological research on body shape and health outcomes.
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