Hygeia Public Health 2016, 51(2): 124-133pl

Anthropometric measures of body composition used in obesity diagnosis - an overview

Dorota Lizak ^1/, Artur Budzowski ^2/, Mariola Seń ^3,1/, Wojciech Czarny ^4/

1/ Zakład Podstawowej Opieki Zdrowotnej i Promocji Zdrowia, Krakowska Akademia im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego
2/ Zakład Chemii Kosmetycznej, Krakowska Akademia im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego
3/ Zakład Promocji Zdrowia, Katedra Zdrowia Publicznego, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Piastów Śląskich we Wrocławiu
4/ Zakład Anatomii i Antropologii, Katedra Nauk Biomedycznych, Uniwersytet Rzeszowski

Summary
Health trends of increasing body mass and size among children, adolescents and adults in Poland are not optimistic. Poland is one of the countries where this phenomenon, and in fact a health problem, has a rising tendency. So far, BMI (Body Mass Index, Quetelet index II) has been considered as an adequate (optimal) anthropometric indicator showing the ratio of body mass to height and on its basis the assessment of the regularity or irregularity of the body was possible. In recent years however, a new BAI measure (Body Adiposity Index) has been developed, which refers to percentage of body fat. The differences in interpretation of the same physical traits of individuals between both indicators allow us to conclude that BMI is not the most reliable measure of the body fat volume, since it refers to the assessment of body mass but not directly to body fat percentage. Both BMI and BAI, considered in the context of heart-cardiovascular disease prevention, on the basis of latest research results available in the literature, show different degrees of correlation with the risk of cardiovascular disease. BAI enables a faster and more general diagnosis of obesity as well as the risk of obesity-related diseases but needs further validation. Nevertheless, the advantages of the new BAI indicator predestine it be used as a conventional anthropometric measure together with BMI. This work is a comparative study on both indicators, as well as the assessment of their credibility based on the available literature.

Key words:  obesity, BMI, BAI, fat tissue, anthropometry