Volumetric differences in body shape among adults with differing body mass index values: An analysis using three‐dimensional body scans

Abstract

This study quantified differences in body shape of people differing in body mass index (BMI), using three-dimensional (3D) scan-extracted segmental body volumes. Eight segmental volumes were measured on 340 young adults (169 males and 171 females) aged 18-30 years, using the Vitus Smart 3D whole body scanner. Body volumes were also expressed as a ratio of the sex-specific mean volume (segmental or whole body) and compared to BMI using simple linear regression, multiple-segment-linear regression and Lowess curves. While all segmental volumes increased significantly as BMI increased, the BMI-related patterns of increase varied among different body segments. For example, pelvis and abdomen volumes increased at a significantly greater rate than whole body volume, with the rates of increase greatest in the overweight and obese. Body shape changes due to variations in body volume could have important implications in a range of fields that currently use 1D anthropometric measurements that do not capture body shape differences in the same detail.