Body shape: Implications in the study of obesity and related traits

NAVARRO, PABLO; RAMALLO, VIRGINIA; CINTAS, CELIA; RUDERMAN, ANAHÍ; AZEVEDO, SOLEDAD; PASCHETTA, CAROLINA; PÉREZ, ORLANDO; PAZOS, BRUNO; DELRIEUX, CLAUDIO; GONZÁLEZ?JOSÉ, ROLANDO

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2019 vol. 32

1042-0533

Objectives: The diagnosis and treatment of obesity are usually based on traditionalanthropometric variables including weight, height, and several body perimeters.Here we present a three-dimensional (3D) image-based computational approachaimed to capture the distribution of abdominal adipose tissue as an aspect of shaperather than a relationship among classical anthropometric measures.Methods: A morphometric approach based on landmarks and semilandmarks placedupon the 3D torso surface was performed in order to quantify abdominal adiposityshape variation and its relation to classical indices. Specifically, we analyzed sets ofbody cross-sectional circumferences, collectively defining each, along with anthro-pometric data taken on 112 volunteers. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) wasperformed on 250 circumferences located along the abdominal region of each volun-teer. An analysis of covariance model was used to compare shape variables (PCs)against anthropometric data (weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences).Results: The observed shape patterns were mainly related to nutritional status,followed by sexual dimorphism. PC1 (12.5%) and PC2 (7.5%) represented 20% ofthe total variation. In PCAs calculated independently by sex, linear regression ana-lyses provide statistically significant associations between PC1 and the three classi-cal indexes: body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-hip ratio.Conclusion: Shape indicators predict well the behavior of classical markers, butalso evaluate 3D and geometric features with more accuracy as related to the bodyshape under study. This approach also facilitates diagnosis and follow-up of thera-pies by using accessible 3D technology.