Anthropometry is a branch of anthropology that studies the measurements and dimensions of the different parts of the human body.
Anthropometry is related to the studies of physical or biological anthropology, which is concerned with analyzing the genetic and biological aspects of the human being and comparing them with each other.
Anthropometry uses several techniques to measure each part of the body, providing precious information for athletes and sedentary individuals about their physical and biological condition.
Etymologically, the word anthropometry is formed by the joining of two terms of Greek origin: anthropos, which means "man" or "human being"; and metron, which means "measure".
In the legal field, the anthropometric analysis it is used as a criminal identification tool, based on the suspect's body description. Example: spoken portrait, photographs, body proportions, fingerprints, etc.
Anthropometry was considered a pseudo-science until the mid-twentieth century. In this period, the use of anthropometric techniques by the Nazis, who used body comparison models to try distinguish Aryan from non-Aryan races through the Department for Population and Welfare Policy Enlightenment Racial.
Currently, anthropometry is applied in several areas of medicine to study diseases and anomalies that affect the dimensions of the human organism. The branch that accompanies the child body development, for example, is called childcare and is inserted in the field of Pediatrics.
nutritional anthropometry
Anthropometric techniques can also be used as a tool to assess an individual's nutritional status.
Nutritional anthropometry, therefore, consists of nutritional assessment, checking, for example, the Body Mass Index (BMI), Skin Fold Analysis and the Fat Index between waist hip.
Anthropometry and Ergonomics
Anthropometry is the study of dimensions and parts of the human body. The ergonomics (ergo = work; name = science), is the study of the adaptation of the members of the human body to the environment around them.
Ergonomics uses anthropometric techniques to adapt the work environment to the average measurements of the human being. For example: creating chairs, tables, scissors and other objects that are easier and more comfortable to handle; creating objects that adapt to the human body.
See also the meanings of Anthropology and Ergonomics.