Individual Health Measurements (7)

• Children over 2 (or >85cm) and adults

• Stadiometer

• Head in Frankfort plane- Horizontal alignment between orbitale and tragion

For who and how is height measured? (3)

BMI = weight (kg) / height(²) (m)

What is the BMI formula?

• Used to categorise background chronic disease risk

What is BMI mainly used for? (1)

• Doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fat

• Doesn’t weight history or current dietary pattern

• Doesn’t reflect differences in ethnicity or sex

• Doesn’t explore age or illness (Higher BMI may be protective in elderly + life-limiting conditions)

What are the limitations of BMI? (4)

• Waist circumference

• Fat distribution and central obesity
  

• Type 2 diabetes

• Cardiovascular disease

• Cancer

• Total mortality after adjusting for BMI or fat mass

What is WC, what it is a indicator of (2), and what is it a risk factor for? (4)

• No universally accepted procedure for defining the site

What is a disadvantage of WC?

• Site A - Level of the umbilicus

• Site B - Mid point between tenth rib and iliac crest

What are the two sites commonly used as the waist circumference?

• In males:

  • >94cm = Abdominal overweight

  • >102 Abdominal obesity
    

• In females

  • >80cm = Abdominal overweight

  • >88 = Abdominal obesity

What are the measurements of waist circumference that are considered overweight and obesity?

• Visceral fat around organs vs subcutaneous fat on hips

• Men: <1, Women, <0.8

What does the WHR measure and what is considered “optimal”

• Genes

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Sex

What does the WHR vary with? (4)

• Stress, smoking, alcohol

• Physical activity

What increases (3) and decreases (1) the WHR?

• Caucasian: 18.5 - 24.9 kg/m2

• Asian: 18.5 - 23.9

What is the healthy BMI range and units in caucasians and asians?

• Skinfolds

• Bioelectrical impedance

• Hydrostatic weighing

• Air displacement plethysmohraphy (BodPod)

• DEXA

What are 5 complex methods of measuring body composition?

• Earliest indication of nutrient deficiencies and excessess

• Accurate and unbiased

• Evidence for a nuritional diagnosis made on the basis symptoms

• Assesses effect of some nutritional therapy 

What are the advantages of biochemical analysis? (4)

Iron status, Cholesterol

What might a blood test be used for- nutrition wise? (2)

• Sodium

• Iodine

What might a urine test be used for, nutrition wise? (2)

• Gut biopsies for gluten intolerance

• Liver biopsies for vitamin A

What might a tissue sample be used for, nutrition wise? (2)