Anthropometry involves measuring the human body to assess health. Key measurements include stature or height, upper and lower body segments, body mass index (BMI), arm span, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and skin fold thickness. BMI is used to classify weight categories from underweight to obese. Waist-hip ratio above 0.9 in males or 0.8 in females indicates increased health risks. Short neck, low hairline, and webbed neck can suggest genetic syndromes like Noonan syndrome or Turner syndrome. Comparing arm span to height can provide clues to conditions that affect growth.

1. ANTHROPOMETRY
Stature- It is the total height measured from vertex of head to the soles of the feet. ie. sum of upper segment and lower segment measurement.
Upper segment >Lower segment Adrenal cortex tumor, Precocious puberty.
Lower segment >Upper segment Hypogonadism, Eunuchoidism, Marfan’s syndrome, Homocystinuria,
Kleinfelter’s syndrome.
At birth 1.7 ( Upper/ lower segment)
Adult 0.8
BMI- is calculated as the weight in kg/ (height in metres), Normal BMI in males 20- 25, Normal BMI in females 18-23
Grade of obesity BMI Comment
Grade 1 25- 30 Over weight
Grade 2 30- 40 Obese
Grade 3 >40 Very obese
Arm Span - It is the distance between the tips of middle finger of the two hands, with both the arms held out stretched horizontally outwards from
the body. Normally below the age of 8, armspan is a bit less than the height. After 8 years, the arm span is a bit more than the height.
Waist Circumference - is measured at midway between lowest rib and iliac crest. Normally it should be < 102 cms in males and < 88 cms
in females.
Waist hip ratio - The hip measurement is taken by measuring at the level that gives the maximal measurement of the hip over the buttocks. The
waist is measured by taking a circumference that gives the narrowest measurement between the ribcage and iliac crest.
Waist hip ratio Type of Obesity Prognosis
0.8 or less Pear shaped obesity Good
0.9 or more Apple shaped obesity At risk of developing obesity related
complications
Skin fold thickness - It is measured using skin fold caliper. It is measured in the right side. It is mainly used in malnutrition and nutritional
assessment. eg. Triceps skin fold is < 3 mm in marasmus.
Tricep skin fold thickness Adult male – 12.5 mm
Tricep skin fold thickness Adult female – 16.5 mm
Neck - Examine for low hair line, short and webbed neck.
Short neck - Measure the distance between external occipital protuberance and C7. Measure the height of the patient.
Normally the ratio is below 1:13. If it is more than 1:13 it suggests a short neck.
Low Hair line - When the hair line is below the spine of C7 it is said to be low.
Webbed neck - Characterized by a small triangular mouth with receding chin, small mandible, clenched hand.
REF:REF: Bicker staffs Neurological examination in clinical practice, Physical Diagnosis- Rustom Vakil, Golwalla, K. Park- anthropometry, Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine Vol-1, Clincal examination in cardiology- Vijay
Raghava Rao, OSCE~ KR Sethuraman, Manual of practical Medicine- Alagappan.
Arm span > stature Hypogonadism, Eunuchoidism, Marfan’s syndrome, Homocystinuria,
Kleinfelter’s syndrome
Stature > Arm span Adrenal cortex tumor, Precocious puberty due to early epiphyseal fusion.
Age Arm spam minus height (in cms)
0-7 yrs - 3
More that 12 yrs +1 females / +4 males
Short neck Webbed neck Low hair line
Klippel – Feil Syndrome Noonan Syndrome Noonan Syndrome
Morquio’s Syndrome Turner Syndrome Turners syndrome
Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18) Klippel – Feil Syndrome
Cornelia –de Lange Syndrome