Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight

Maria Pagano; Andrea Viggiano

doi:doi:10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight

Maria Pagano, Andrea Viggiano

Published in Advances in Applied Physiology (Volume 3, Issue 1)

Received: 26 July 2018 Accepted: 7 August 2018 Published: 19 September 2018

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Abstract

Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to evaluate if a person has a normal body weight. This index may appear strange to a student because he could expect a cubic relation between body volume and any linear body dimension. The aim of the present experiment was to show the experimental approach to establish a mathematical relation between linear body dimensions and body weight by using a simple animal model. To this end, twelve sea bass and thirteen sea breams were obtained from a local fish-market. For each fish it was measured the body weight, the linear body dimensions, the body volume, the body surface area, and the visceral fat weight. The mathematical relations between all the experimental variables were evaluated pairwise, by plotting them on X-Y graphs and calculating the best fitting power-model. The results demonstrated that in fishes body weight fitted with any of the linear body dimensions raised to a power smaller than 2. The strongest of such correlations was between body weight and body length raised to a power of 1.5. Moreover, BMI did not correlate with visceral fat content. These results demonstrated that in fishes: 1) a non-linear correlation exists between body weight and linear body dimensions; 2) growth is allometric; 3) BMI is a fictitious index and does not describe a physiological phenomenon; 4) BMI is not predictive of visceral fat content; 5) other variables should be taken into account to obtain a more affordable mathematical model to describe the relation between body weight and linear body dimensions.

Published in	Advances in Applied Physiology (Volume 3, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
Page(s)	33-37
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Linear Body Dimensions, Body Surface Area, Body Weight, Visceral Fat, Body Mass Index

References

[1]	Khosla, T., Lowe, C. R., (1967). Indices of obesity derived from body weight and height. Br J PrevSoc Med. 21, 122–128.
[2]	Adab, P., Pallan, M., Whincup, P.H. (2018). Is BMI the best measure of obesity? BMJ 360, k1274.
[3]	Gonzalez, M. C., Correia MITD, Heymsfield, S. B. (2017). A requiem for BMI in the clinical setting.CurrOpinClinNutrMetab Care.20, 314-321.
[4]	Holford, N. H. G., Anderson, B. J. (2017). Allometric size: The scientific theory and extension to normal fat mass. Eur J Pharm Sci. 109S, S59-S64.
[5]	Daniell, N., Olds, T., Tomkinson, G. (2012). Technical note: Criterion validity of whole body surface area equations: a comparison using 3D laser scanning. Am J PhysAnthropol. 148, 148-155.
[6]	Mosteller, R. D., (1987).Simplified calculation of body-surface area.N Engl J Med. 317, 1098.
[7]	Kleiber, M., (1932). Body size and metabolism.Hilgardia 6, 315-353.
[8]	Krakauer, N. Y., Krakauer, J. C. (2018). Untangling waist circumference and hip circumference from body mass index with a body shape index, hip index, and anthropometric risk indicator. MetabSyndrRelatDisord. 16, 160-165.
[9]	Clark, T. D., Farrell, A. P., (2011). Effects of body mass on physiological and anatomical parameters of mature salmon: evidence against a universal heart rate scaling exponent. J Exp Biol. 214, 887-193.
[10]	White, C. R., Phillips, N. F., Seymour, R. S., (2006). The scaling and temperature dependence of vertebrate metabolism. BiolLett. 2, 125-127.

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APA Style

Maria Pagano, Andrea Viggiano. (2018). Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Advances in Applied Physiology, 3(1), 33-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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ACS Style

Maria Pagano; Andrea Viggiano. Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Adv. Appl. Physiol. 2018, 3(1), 33-37. doi: 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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AMA Style

Maria Pagano, Andrea Viggiano. Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Adv Appl Physiol. 2018;3(1):33-37. doi: 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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@article{10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15,
  author = {Maria Pagano and Andrea Viggiano},
  title = {Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight},
  journal = {Advances in Applied Physiology},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1},
  pages = {33-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.aap.20180301.15},
  abstract = {Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to evaluate if a person has a normal body weight. This index may appear strange to a student because he could expect a cubic relation between body volume and any linear body dimension. The aim of the present experiment was to show the experimental approach to establish a mathematical relation between linear body dimensions and body weight by using a simple animal model. To this end, twelve sea bass and thirteen sea breams were obtained from a local fish-market. For each fish it was measured the body weight, the linear body dimensions, the body volume, the body surface area, and the visceral fat weight. The mathematical relations between all the experimental variables were evaluated pairwise, by plotting them on X-Y graphs and calculating the best fitting power-model. The results demonstrated that in fishes body weight fitted with any of the linear body dimensions raised to a power smaller than 2. The strongest of such correlations was between body weight and body length raised to a power of 1.5. Moreover, BMI did not correlate with visceral fat content. These results demonstrated that in fishes: 1) a non-linear correlation exists between body weight and linear body dimensions; 2) growth is allometric; 3) BMI is a fictitious index and does not describe a physiological phenomenon; 4) BMI is not predictive of visceral fat content; 5) other variables should be taken into account to obtain a more affordable mathematical model to describe the relation between body weight and linear body dimensions.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight
AU  - Maria Pagano
AU  - Andrea Viggiano
Y1  - 2018/09/19
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
T2  - Advances in Applied Physiology
JF  - Advances in Applied Physiology
JO  - Advances in Applied Physiology
SP  - 33
EP  - 37
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2471-9714
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
AB  - Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to evaluate if a person has a normal body weight. This index may appear strange to a student because he could expect a cubic relation between body volume and any linear body dimension. The aim of the present experiment was to show the experimental approach to establish a mathematical relation between linear body dimensions and body weight by using a simple animal model. To this end, twelve sea bass and thirteen sea breams were obtained from a local fish-market. For each fish it was measured the body weight, the linear body dimensions, the body volume, the body surface area, and the visceral fat weight. The mathematical relations between all the experimental variables were evaluated pairwise, by plotting them on X-Y graphs and calculating the best fitting power-model. The results demonstrated that in fishes body weight fitted with any of the linear body dimensions raised to a power smaller than 2. The strongest of such correlations was between body weight and body length raised to a power of 1.5. Moreover, BMI did not correlate with visceral fat content. These results demonstrated that in fishes: 1) a non-linear correlation exists between body weight and linear body dimensions; 2) growth is allometric; 3) BMI is a fictitious index and does not describe a physiological phenomenon; 4) BMI is not predictive of visceral fat content; 5) other variables should be taken into account to obtain a more affordable mathematical model to describe the relation between body weight and linear body dimensions.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Maria Pagano

Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy
Andrea Viggiano

Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy

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APA Style

Maria Pagano, Andrea Viggiano. (2018). Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Advances in Applied Physiology, 3(1), 33-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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ACS Style

Maria Pagano; Andrea Viggiano. Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Adv. Appl. Physiol. 2018, 3(1), 33-37. doi: 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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AMA Style

Maria Pagano, Andrea Viggiano. Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight. Adv Appl Physiol. 2018;3(1):33-37. doi: 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15

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@article{10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15,
  author = {Maria Pagano and Andrea Viggiano},
  title = {Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight},
  journal = {Advances in Applied Physiology},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1},
  pages = {33-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.aap.20180301.15},
  abstract = {Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to evaluate if a person has a normal body weight. This index may appear strange to a student because he could expect a cubic relation between body volume and any linear body dimension. The aim of the present experiment was to show the experimental approach to establish a mathematical relation between linear body dimensions and body weight by using a simple animal model. To this end, twelve sea bass and thirteen sea breams were obtained from a local fish-market. For each fish it was measured the body weight, the linear body dimensions, the body volume, the body surface area, and the visceral fat weight. The mathematical relations between all the experimental variables were evaluated pairwise, by plotting them on X-Y graphs and calculating the best fitting power-model. The results demonstrated that in fishes body weight fitted with any of the linear body dimensions raised to a power smaller than 2. The strongest of such correlations was between body weight and body length raised to a power of 1.5. Moreover, BMI did not correlate with visceral fat content. These results demonstrated that in fishes: 1) a non-linear correlation exists between body weight and linear body dimensions; 2) growth is allometric; 3) BMI is a fictitious index and does not describe a physiological phenomenon; 4) BMI is not predictive of visceral fat content; 5) other variables should be taken into account to obtain a more affordable mathematical model to describe the relation between body weight and linear body dimensions.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Using Fish-Market-Fishes to Demonstrate the Methodological Approach to Establish Mathematical Relations Between Body Size and Body Weight
AU  - Maria Pagano
AU  - Andrea Viggiano
Y1  - 2018/09/19
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
T2  - Advances in Applied Physiology
JF  - Advances in Applied Physiology
JO  - Advances in Applied Physiology
SP  - 33
EP  - 37
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2471-9714
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aap.20180301.15
AB  - Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to evaluate if a person has a normal body weight. This index may appear strange to a student because he could expect a cubic relation between body volume and any linear body dimension. The aim of the present experiment was to show the experimental approach to establish a mathematical relation between linear body dimensions and body weight by using a simple animal model. To this end, twelve sea bass and thirteen sea breams were obtained from a local fish-market. For each fish it was measured the body weight, the linear body dimensions, the body volume, the body surface area, and the visceral fat weight. The mathematical relations between all the experimental variables were evaluated pairwise, by plotting them on X-Y graphs and calculating the best fitting power-model. The results demonstrated that in fishes body weight fitted with any of the linear body dimensions raised to a power smaller than 2. The strongest of such correlations was between body weight and body length raised to a power of 1.5. Moreover, BMI did not correlate with visceral fat content. These results demonstrated that in fishes: 1) a non-linear correlation exists between body weight and linear body dimensions; 2) growth is allometric; 3) BMI is a fictitious index and does not describe a physiological phenomenon; 4) BMI is not predictive of visceral fat content; 5) other variables should be taken into account to obtain a more affordable mathematical model to describe the relation between body weight and linear body dimensions.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1
ER  -

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