ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the associations among common anthropometric measurements and more precise measurements of body fat obtained from “gold standard” methods. Anthropometry (anthropos = human, metron = measure) refers to a set of standard measurements of the dimensions of the human body.1 To ensure reliable assessments, anthropometry requires standardized equipment and protocols, and technicians need to be trained to be procient. Anthropometric measurements are commonly used for the clinical assessment of obesity as well as for population health surveillance and in other cases where the use of more direct measures of adiposity may be prohibitive because of cost, time, or other logistical constraints. The use of gold standard measures of body fatness has been generally limited to laboratory studies of obesity, in addition to the clinical assessment of obesity in cases where imaging protocols are indicated.
