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ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION IN NORMAL AND OBESE SUBJECTS
Author(s) -
GRACE C. S.,
GOLDRICK R. B.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1969.18.1.26
Subject(s) - iliac crest , circumference , crest , anthropometry , classification of obesity , skinfold thickness , body weight , body mass index , obesity , creatinine , endocrinology , medicine , body adiposity index , body water , zoology , fat mass , anatomy , mathematics , biology , geometry , physics , quantum mechanics
SUMMARY Multiple anthropometric measurements, which included those of weight, height, skinfold thickness, bone diameters and limb circumferences, together with estimations of creatinine excretion, were performed on 52 male and 42 female healthy subjects, both obese and of normal weight. Fat mass was estimated from two equations, which had been derived by previous workers from measurements of body density, and combined total body water content and body density. One was based on weight and skeletal measurements, and the other on the iliac crest circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. It was shown that there was close agreement between these two estimates, even in very obese subjects, thus extending the observations made by the original authors. When the mean of these two values was used as the reference value for fat mass, it was found that the latter could be simply predicted in both sexes from weight/height 2 and percentage ideal weight calculations and in males from iliac crest circumference. The error of prediction was less than 6·8 kg. (twice the S.D.). Prediction was better (error less than 5·2 kg.) in both sexes using both weight/height 2 and the iliac crest circumference. Skinfold thicknesses were of less value in predicting fat mass. These conclusions only apply to Western populations of this type of body build, in whom fat is almost exclusively responsible for variations in bulk. In interracial studies, skin fold measurements may give a better estimate of relative obesity. With creatinine excretion as our index of muscle mass, we found that no body measurement was of value in estimating muscularity. The best parameter was fat‐free weight, but this was of poor value, especially in obese males. It emphasizes that muscle forms a very variable proportion of fat‐free weight. To obtain a reliable estimate of muscularity in population studies it appears essential to estimate creatinine excretion.