Energy balance
Anthropometric measures (BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) are recommended as feasible, cost-effective core measures for obesity clinical trials, despite being less accurate than imaging methods like DXA or MRI.
For obesity research, simple measurements like height, weight, and waist circumference are the standard starting point because they are feasible and cost-effective. While they are less precise than advanced imaging, they are sufficient for tracking general trends in body composition across large groups.
Anthropometry includes the assessment of height, weight, and calculated BMI (recommended) as well as central fat mass (FM) and the relative distribution of fat in central and peripheral fat depots by waist and hip circumferences and calculated waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (recommended).
Why this rating
The paper is a consensus guideline from the ADOPT project, synthesizing evidence on feasibility and validity.
Source
Accumulating Data to Optimally Predict Obesity Treatment (ADOPT): Recommendations from the Biological Domain
Michael Rosenbaum et al. · Obesity · 2018
DOI 10.1002/oby.22156
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