Digital Anthropometry for Body Circumference Measurements: European Phenotypic Variations throughout the Decades

This review summarizes body circumference-based anthropometrics that are in common use for research and in some cases clinical application. These include waist and hip circumference-based central body indices to predict cardiometabolic risk: waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marco Alessandro Minetto, Angelo Pietrobelli, Chiara Busso, Jonathan P. Bennett, Andrea Ferraris, John A. Shepherd, Steven B. Heymsfield
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Journal of Personalized Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/6/906
Description
Summary:This review summarizes body circumference-based anthropometrics that are in common use for research and in some cases clinical application. These include waist and hip circumference-based central body indices to predict cardiometabolic risk: waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-thigh ratio, body adiposity index, a body shape index (ABSI), hip index (HI), and body roundness index (BRI). Limb circumference measurements are most often used to assess sarcopenia and include: thigh circumference, calf circumference, and mid-arm circumference. Additionally, this review presents fascinating recent developments in optic-based imaging technologies that have elucidated changes over the last decades in average body size and shape in European populations. The classical apple and pear shape concepts of body shape difference remain useful, but novel and exciting 3-D optical “e-taper” measurements provide a potentially powerful new future vista in anthropometrics.
ISSN:2075-4426