The Skinny on Body Fat: Body Volume Index
http://www.healthymagination.com/blog/the-skinny-on-body-fat-body-volume-index/
The Skinny on Body Fat: Body Volume IndexBY Samuel Greengard • POSTED April 21 2011 AT 12:00 pm
Calculating obesity is a daunting task. Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet invented the measure that’s widely used, Body Mass Index (BMI), over 180 years ago. Public health organizations promote BMI as a way to gauge body health. Unfortunately, it does not take into account age, weight distribution or the fact that muscle weighs more than fat.
“Healthy, muscular men and women can be incorrectly classified as being overweight using BMI,” observes Sophie Harris, project coordinator for Select Research, a UK-based organization that is working to redefine and update the concept of body mass. “There is no distinction between men and women with different body shapes and heights but with the same BMI.”
As a result, Select Research has introduced the Body Volume Index (BVI), which attempts to provide a more complete analysis. BVI distinguishes where weight is distributed across a body, including the chest, abdomen, pelvis and thighs. In addition, the BVI system compares people to the average BVI mean for people in the same age and gender.
Obtaining a BVI reading is simple and straightforward. A healthcare professional gauges a person’s body volume using a non-invasive 3-D body scanner that works like a photocopier. An individual steps into a booth that uses 32 cameras and 16 sensors to feed data into a computer. Software interpolates the scan and provides a BVI reading based on 300 measured points on the body. The device uses no radiation.
So far, Select-Research has conducted about 2,000 trial scans. As the cost of the system drops, the BVI scanner will likely be used on larger segments of the population. Organizations such as The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK have taken note, Harris says. A consortium of scientists, academics and public sector funding bodies are currently discussing the possible implementation of BVI as an alternative to BMI.
A more accurate measurement tool could assist in the battle against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and metabolic diseases. Says Managing Director of Select Research, Richard Barnes: “We hope that BVI will play a huge role in the future of health monitoring and weight management.”
CONNECT THE DOTS
For a detailed look at a Select-Research body benchmark study conducted from 2007 to 2010, click to the Body Volume Index Website. To view a video of how a BVI scan works, visit the NHS Website. For more information about BMI, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It offers a calculator, tables and information. For more information, check out this blog about fitness for real life.
