| Body weight and the body mass index
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Body weight in relation to height is a most commonly used measurement in nutritional assessment. The relationship between the two is expressed as the body mass index (BMI) calculated according to the formula:
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| BMI is used to categorize the nutritional status as shown in Table 21.5. As mentioned above, one should remember that BMI alone should not be used as a definitive indication of the nutritional state.
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| Other measurements used in the nutritional assessment are the waist-to-hip ratio, the mid-arm circumference and the skinfold thickness measured with carefully calibrated calipers. More detailed analysis includes the assessments of total body water, the analysis of body bioelectrical impedance and the measurements of lean body mass using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Some of these measurements allow to calculate variables such as body fat content and composition. Also, functional measurements such as grip strength or peak expiratory flow are relevant to nutritional state.
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