Human Body Shape Index Based on an Experimentally Derived Model of Human Growth

Abstract

Objectives-To test the assumption of geometrically similar growth by developing experimentally derived models of human body growth during the age interval of 5-18 years; to use the derived growth models to establish a new Human Body Shape Index (HBSI) based on natural age related changes in HBS; and to compare various metrics of relative body weight (body mass index, ponderal index, HBSI) in a sample of 5-18 year old children.Study design-Non-disabled Polish children (N=847) participated in this descriptive study. To model growth, the best fit between body height (H) and body mass (M) was calculated for each sex with the allometric equation M= m i H χ . HBSI and HBSI were calculated separately for girls and boys, using sex-specific values for χ and a general HBSI from combined data. The customary body mass and ponderal indices were calculated and compared to HBSI values.Results-The models of growth were M=13.11H 2.84 (R 2 =.90) and M=13.64H 2.68 (R 2 =.91) for girls and boys respectively. HBSI values contained less inherent variability and were influenced least by growth (age and height) than customary indices.Conclusion-Age-related growth during childhood is sex-specific and not geometrically similar. Therefore, indices of human body shape formulated from experimentally derived models of human growth are superior to customary geometric similarity-based indices for the characterization of human body shape in children during the formative growth years.

The kinematic consequences of invariant dynamics in children 6–18 years of age

“…Any diversion from this relationship may be attributed to factors such as improvement in performance, higher levels of activation, and/or changes in muscle mechanics. Previous studies reported that growth of the human body between ages 6 and 18 years is almost geometrically similar (Lebiedowska et al, 2008); the current study presents arguments to extend geometrical similarity into some properties of body dynamics and kinematics.…”

“…It was shown that highly variable control patterns in infants lead to the emergence of somewhat optimal (''adult-like'') patterns in older children (Forssberg and Nashner, 1982;Hadders-Algra and Forssberg, 1998;Schneider et al, 1990;Holt et al, 2007). During the second phase, body growth can be considered almost geometrically similar (Lebiedowska et al, 2008). Control adaptation mechanisms have been observed during the first phase of growth, but it remains unclear whether similar mechanisms play a role during the second phase of growth (Bullock and Grossberg, 1988).…”

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index values in 9‐year‐old rural Norwegian children

“…According to Valdez et al [13] PI could be a more accurate reflection of adiposity in children of varying height. This is supported by Lebiedowska et al [14] who point out that the use of BMI is justified in adults, because an increase in body dimensions can occur in only two dimensions in adults, whereas growth can occur in three dimensions in children. When applying PI to compare changes in body mass and height in children from this study with those children from 1975 in Oslo, the difference is less pronounced.…”

The allometric scaling of body mass and height in children and adolescents in five countries

“…The study of linearizing weight and height ratio to represent body mass or body fat, regardless of height, has increased in recent years (Burton, ; Heymsfield, Gallagher, Mayer, Beetsch, & Pietrobelli, ; Heymsfield, Heo, Thomas, & Pietrobelli, ; Lebiedowska, Alter, & Stanhope, ; Mei et al, ; Metcalf et al, ; Nevill, Stewart, Olds, & Holder, ; Wells, Treleaven, & Cole, ). Linearizing this ratio is important for the following reasons: (1) to obtain an index of body mass regardless of height; (2) to obtain an estimate of body fat regardless of the individual's size; (3) to indirectly increase the association between body mass and body fat; and (4) to increase the reliability and accuracy of nutritional diagnosis based on body mass.…”

“…During puberty, the growth process is characterized by nonsynchronized expansion of body mass size with sexual dimorphism and variation across ages. Therefore, linearizing the scaling process for the body mass and height ratio in this age range needs to consider three parameters: bone mass (height), age, and gender (Lebiedowska, Alter, & Stanhope, ).…”