Cross-sectional assessment of body composition and detection of malnutrition risk in participants with low body mass index and eating disorders using 3D optical surface scans

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 118; no. 4; pp. 812 - 821
• Main Authors: Garber, Andrea K., Bennett, Jonathan P., Wong, Michael C., Tian, Isaac Y., Maskarinec, Gertraud, Kennedy, Samantha F., McCarthy, Cassidy, Kelly, Nisa N., Liu, Yong E., Machen, Vanessa I., Heymsfield, Steven B., Shepherd, John A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2023; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: 3-Dimensional Optical imaging (3DO); Absorptiometry; Absorptiometry, Photon - methods; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Adults; anorexia nervosa (AN); atypical anorexia nervosa (atypical AN); Body composition; Body Composition - physiology; Body fat; Body mass; Body Mass Index; body mass index (BMI); Body size; Body weight; Child; Children; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); Eating disorders; Fat-free body mass; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Female; Humans; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - diagnosis; nutritional rehabilitation; Regression analysis; Research facilities; Sarcopenia; Strength testing; Weight; Weight Loss; ALM; UCSF; PBRC; atypical anorexia nervosa (atypical AN); body mass index (BMI); FM; anorexia nervosa (AN); FFM; dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); SD; body composition; Β; UHCC; PBF; ALMI; Κ; sarcopenia; BMI; CCC; mBMI; NHOPI; adolescents; CI; DXA; AN; malnutrition; IRB; 3-Dimensional Optical imaging (3DO); FFMI; nutritional rehabilitation; 3DO
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.004

New recommendations for the assessment of malnutrition and sarcopenia include body composition, specifically reduced muscle mass. Three-dimensional optical imaging (3DO) is a validated, accessible, and affordable alternative to dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Identify strengths and weaknesses of 3DO for identification of malnutrition in participants with low body mass index (BMI) and eating disorders. Participants were enrolled in the cross-sectional Shape Up! Adults and Kids studies of body shape, metabolic risk, and functional assessment and had BMI of <20 kg/m2 in adults or <85% of median BMI (mBMI) in children and adolescents. A subset was referred for eating disorders evaluation. Anthropometrics, scans, strength testing, and questionnaires were completed in clinical research centers. Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) assessed agreement between 3DO and DXA; multivariate linear regression analysis examined associations between weight history and body composition. Among 95 participants, mean ± SD BMI was 18.3 ± 1.4 kg/m2 in adult women (N = 56), 19.0 ± 0.6 in men (N = 14), and 84.2% ± 4.1% mBMI in children (N = 25). Concordance was excellent for fat-free mass (FFM, CCC = 0.97) and strong for appendicular lean mass (ALM, CCC = 0.86) and fat mass (FM, CCC = 0.87). By DXA, 80% of adults met the low FFM index criterion for malnutrition, and 44% met low ALM for sarcopenia; 52% of children and adolescents were <−2 z-score for FM. 3DO identified 95% of these cases. In the subset, greater weight loss predicted lower FFM, FM, and ALM by both methods; a greater percentage of weight regained predicted a higher percentage of body fat. 3DO can accurately estimate body composition in participants with low BMI and identify criteria for malnutrition and sarcopenia. In a subset, 3DO detected changes in body composition expected with weight loss and regain secondary to eating disorders. These findings support the utility of 3DO for body composition assessment in patients with low BMI, including those with eating disorders. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03637855.