anthropometry

61 Pages·2009·1.27 MB·English

ANTHROPOMETRY
Afsaneh Safar cherati M.D Sports Medicine
Specialist
What is Anthropometry?
Greek
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Anthro- : man
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-pometry: measurements
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Literal meaning: “measurement of humans”
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The study of measurements or proportions of the
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human body according to sex, age, etc. for
identification purposes & understanding human
physical variation.
Kinanthropometry is an emerging scientific
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specialization concerned with the application of
measurement to appraise human size, shape,
proportion, composition, maturation and gross function.
It is a basic discipline for problem-solving in matters
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related to growth, exercise, performance and nutrition.
Anthropometry is the study of the measurement of the
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human body in terms of the dimensions of bone, muscle,
and adipose (fat) tissue.
The area has been defined as the quantitative
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interface between anatomy and physiology. It puts
the individual athlete into objective focus and
provides a clear appraisal of his or her structural
status at any given time, or, more importantly,
provides for quantification of differential growth
and training influences.
Today, anthropometry plays an important role in
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industrial design , clothing design, ergonomics and
architecture where statistical data about the
distribution of body dimensions in the population
are used to optimize products.
Changes in life styles, nutrition and ethnic
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composition of populations lead to changes in the
distribution of body dimensions (e.g., the obesity
epidemic), and require regular updating of
anthropometric data collections.
History of Anthropometry
1883- Alphonse
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Bertillon: system of
identification
depending on the
unchanging character
of certain
measurements of parts
of the human body
”Bertillonage”- first
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adapted by the French
police
History of Anthropometry
1888: Francis Galton starts research on “Finger
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Prints” to further anthropometry
Anthropometrics was first used in the 19th and early
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20th century in criminalistics, to identifying criminals
by facial characteristics.
Cesare Lombroso's criminal anthropology, he also
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believed that criminality could be predicted
according to the body type.
Applications of Anthropometry
Identification of repeat-offense criminals ( recidivists)
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Prevention of impersonation
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Differentiation between the races
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Advocacy of Eugenics policies in Europe
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Aryans from Jews: Nazi Germany famously relied
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on anthropometric measurements to distinguish
Aryans from Jews on the basis of measurements
of the skull and other physical features,
“craniometric” certification, required by law.
Intelligence tests became associated with
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Anthropometry
During the 1940s anthropometry was used by
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William Sheldon when evaluating his somatotypes,
according to which characteristics of the body can
be translated into characteristics of the mind.