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Assessment of body composition by using a new chart method
Author(s) -
Hattori Komei,
Tatsumi Nobunao,
Tanaka Shigeho
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1520-6300(1997)9:5<573::aid-ajhb5>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - chart , hum , fat mass , body adiposity index , composition (language) , body mass index , fat free mass , growth chart , body shape index , mass index , classification of obesity , statistics , mathematics , medicine , endocrinology , art , linguistics , philosophy , performance art , art history
The body mass index (BMI, weight/height 2 ), is commonly used as a simple and valid way of assessing body composition. However, the significance of the BMI is not clear, since body mass is composed of two main components: fat‐free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM), each with different densities. In order to graphically present body composition as a quantitative measure, a chart based on the fat‐free mass index (FFMI, FFM/height 2 ) and fat mass index (FMI; FM/height 2 ), as reported in a previous paper (Hattori, J. Anthropol. Soc. Nippon 99:141–148, 1991), was revised by adding information on both the percentages of body fat (%fat) and the BMI. The benefit of the new chart method is its simplicity which comes from the application of two variables on a two dimensional chart. The chart containing the lines of %fat and the BMI can be of use in detecting multiple aspects of body composition since it provides four pieces of information at the same time: FMI, FFMI, BMI, and %fat. Am. J Hum. Biol. 9:573–578, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.