Abstract
Anthropometry, Greek for human measurement, is a tool widely used across many scientific disciplines. Clinical nutrition applications include phenotyping subjects across the lifespan for assessing growth, body composition, response to treatments, and predicting health risks. The simple anthropometric tools such as flexible measuring tapes and calipers are now being supplanted by rapidly developing digital technology devices. These systems take many forms, but excitement today surrounds the introduction of relatively low cost three-dimensional optical imaging methods that can be used in research, clinical, and even home settings. This review examines this transformative technology, providing an overview of device operational details, early validation studies, and potential applications. Digital anthropometry is rapidly transforming dormant and static areas of clinical nutrition science with many new applications and research opportunities.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the input provided by optical device manufacturers on the operational details of their respective systems.
Author contributions
SBH, BB, BKN, MJS, XL, and JAS drafted the manuscript; SBH and JAS provided necessary logistical support; SBH, BB, BKN, MJS, XL, and JAS edited the manuscript for intellectual content and provided critical comments on the manuscript.
Funding
This work was partially supported by two National Institutes of Health NORC Center Grants P30DK072476, Pennington/Louisiana; and P30DK040561, Harvard; and R01DK109008, Shape UP! Adults.
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Heymsfield, S.B., Bourgeois, B., Ng, B.K. et al. Digital anthropometry: a critical review. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 680–687 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0145-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0145-7
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