Practical tools for evaluating body fat distribution: Applications in clinical and home-based weight management

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Public Health
• Biometrics

Background:

• Obesity is a growing public health concern linked to cardiometabolic diseases.
• Body mass index (BMI) is standard for obesity diagnosis but lacks detail on fat distribution.
• Visceral and subcutaneous fat are key determinants in metabolic disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review anthropometric and body composition tools for obesity diagnosis beyond BMI.
• To explore home-based assessment tools for remote weight management in telehealth.
• To evaluate the potential of these tools for improved obesity risk stratification.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinic-based anthropometric measures (e.g., waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio).
• Exploration of body composition assessment tools (e.g., body roundness index, sagittal abdominal diameter).
• Investigation of home-based tools (e.g., bioelectrical impedance analysis, body scanning apps, DEXA) for telehealth.

Main Results:

• Several anthropometric and body composition tools offer greater insight into obesity-related health risks than BMI alone.
• Home-based assessment tools show promise for remote weight management but vary in accuracy and usability.
• Integrating clinic-based and home-based assessments can enhance risk stratification.

Conclusions:

• Advanced anthropometric and body composition assessments provide a more nuanced understanding of obesity.
• Home-based tools can support telehealth-driven weight management strategies.
• Combined clinic and home assessments are crucial for personalized obesity care and intervention.