Module 7 - Activity 3

Activity 1 : : Activity 2 : : Activity 3 : : Activity 4 : : Activity 5

Activity 3: Interactive Learning Resources

The usefulness of anthropometric assessments is dependant on accurate measures. Two commonly used anthropometric tools for nutrition assessment are BMI and body composition. BMI requires an accurate height and weight measurement.

BMI and body composition: www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4489

Body composition can be measured by a variety of tools including: skinfold calipers, hydrostatic weighing, bioelectrical impedance, DEXA, and the BOD POD http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/bodycomp.html

One of the most important aspects of measuring, assessing, and following-up on body composition is to pick one tool and one technician and stick with it. Each of the methods above has strength and weaknesses. It is more accurate to compare results from the same technique over time than to use different methods over time.

Revisit your candid evaluation from above.

Upon meeting with your patient, you measure her body composition and realize she is 18% body fat.
• What is her BMI?
• Does this new information about her body composition change your perspective from above? If so, how?
• How do you account for her high BMI and low body fat percentage?

How would you educate the patient with regard to these findings?

Assessment Tools

There are validated assessment tools that are fast, accurate, and informative that can be used in a clinical setting to assess a patient’s nutritional well-being. Two that are currently recommended are:

• WAVE: http://irweb.swmed.edu/chn/naa/wave/wave_info.htm
• REAP: http://bms.brown.edu/nutrition/acrobat/REAP%206.pdf
• Please read the Journal of Nutrition article regarding these two methods: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/133/2/556S