Beyond BMI: Accurate Measurement of Body Composition – a Change of Paradigm

Keywords:

Leanness, adiposity, adipose tissue, patterning, body fat, lipids, triglycerides, B-mode ultrasound, fasciae, mass index, MI, body mass index, BMI, anthropometry, body shape, Cormic index, elite athletes, physical activity, anorexia, eating disorders, sex differences, dimorphism
Key information:

Valid, Accurate and Reliable: A New Era in Physique Assessment An individual’s physique – shaped by anthropometric traits and body composition – offers crucial insights into health and performance. In weight-sensitive sports and clinical practice alike, appropriate assessment of body weight and accurate measurement of adipose tissue are essential. When measuring lean individuals or tracking small changes, most methods fail to provide valid, accurate, and reliable results. This book presents two breakthroughs:

The Mass Index (MI) and the Standardised Ultrasound Method (SUM).
MI improves the body mass index (BMI) by taking body shape into account, long demanded by the WHO, and is based on epidemiological study results and on a study of over 2,000 participants presented here that considers sex differences. MI enables appropriate weight assessment on a finer scale and is as simple to determine as BMI. Yet, both BMI and MI are not designed for measuring body composition.
To fill this gap, SUM was developed using B-mode ultrasound to measure subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) with a level of validity, accuracy, and reliability not reached by any other method. The method is applicable in the field and avoids ionising radiation. SUM was standardised in cooperation with a working group of the IOC Medical Commission, and its outstanding data quality was confirmed in a multicentre reliability study across leading institutes in Europe, Australia, and the USA.
Unique data from the world’s top sport climbers demonstrate the power of SUM to distinguish differences invisible to all other measurement methods. In scientific research, clinical assessment, and sports performance, the quality of data determines the quality of conclusions.
This book offers a comprehensive foundation for both researchers and practicioners commited to valid, high-resolution methods for physique analysis – and for those ready to move beyond inadequate methods that may soon lack scientific credibility.