Enhanced body image
It’s the classic New Year’s Resolution. This year, I am going to shed those extra 15 lbs., lay off the sweets, start eating better… and drink lots of water. So you join a gym and what’s the first thing to do? You get a body composition assessment. That’s when you hear terms like BMI (body mass index) and waist-to-hip ratio. Also, many weight scales that you buy today can determine both your weight and body fat percentage.
BMI, waist-to-hip ratio and body fat percentage are standard ways to assess a person’s body composition. But what if we could something more to extract even more valuable information? Combining state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging technologies with scientific knowledge in diet, nutrition and lifestyle with, GE is joining forces with Nestlé’s Research Center in a research collaboration to take body composition assessment to a whole new level.
Nestlé scientists, who conduct research into the effects of nutrition, diet and lifestyle on health and wellness, will conduct clinical trials with individuals using GE Healthcare’s Lunar iDXATM imaging system. The Lunar iDXATM system can provide information beyond the traditional body measurements by providing images of body fat location, and the amount of muscle and bone. These measurements will play a key part in helping Nestlé scientists learn more about the relationships between diet, lifestyle and metabolic health. See the following two Lunar iDXATM images. The one on the left shows the skeleton from which bone mineral density is determined. The image on the right shows the body composition information as well. From that information, the amounts of fat and muscle in the differents of the body can be determined (including the abdominal region).
The news today is filled with stories about how food, exercise and lifestyle impact our weight and overall health. I think it is something most everyone has a strong curiosity about. We want to know how our actions – what we eat, how much we exercise – impact our well-being. Measuring body weight provides us with one piece of information about our health. Knowing the location of your body fat, and how that affects your health can provide an individual with more definite goals for weight management. Being able to also measure muscle and bone simultaneously is also key for managing bone health.
I will be leading team here at GRC on the diagnostic side, and we are really looking forward to participate in this new endeavor. The coming together of medical imaging and diagnostics with diet, lifestyle and nutrition research represents an extraordinary opportunity to discover new frontiers in nutrition and health.
Fiona, this sounds like a really great project. Please keep us updated on progress with the project.