Abstract
3D-body scanning anthropometry is a suitable method for characterization of physiological development of children and adolescents, and for understanding onset and progression of disorders like overweight and obesity. Here we present a novel body typing approach to describe and to interpret longitudinal 3D-body scanning data of more than 800 children and adolescents measured in up to four follow-ups in intervals of 1 year, referring to an age range between 6 and 18 years. We analyzed transitions between body types assigned to lower-, normal- and overweight participants upon development of children and adolescents. We found a virtually parallel development of the body types with only a few transitions between them. Body types of children and adolescents tend to conserve their weight category. 3D body scanning anthropometry in combination with body typing constitutes a novel option to investigate onset and progression of obesity in children.
Highlights
Anthropometry is important for understanding the development of children and adolescents
For younger children we found a common ‘early childhood body shape’ which later splits into three weight-dependent types for older children, with a one to two years delay for boys
The category of high- and overweight collects about 15% of measurements of boys and 20% of girls, potentially indicating increased risk for a series of civilization diseases such as diabetes and cancer as reported in two prospective studies in the USA [3]
Summary
Anthropometry is important for understanding the development of children and adolescents. This study of Song et al classified participants into five distinct, mutually exclusive trajectory groups It allows for detailed evaluation of the population heterogeneity in terms of body shapes called ‘somatotypes’ over the life course, and it permits direct comparison of the mortality risk across these groups. Three-dimensional (3D-) whole body scanning provides a promising technique to gather anthropometric data, granting opportunity to assess dozens of individual body measures at once with high accuracy and within only a few seconds of time [5] This technological transformation is so rapid and profound that the field has yet to accommodate by development of new concepts. We ask about age-dependent transitions between the different body types, an information which is absent in the cross sectional data, and whether children and adolescents tend to switch between weight categories (underweight, normal and overweight) upon development or tend to maintain their category
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
