Content & Script of the Programme. Introduction:

Transcription

1 Content & Script of the Programme Introduction: Body indices are calculated to find out the proportion of a particular body part in relation to the other. These indices have their importance in categorizing individuals into different categories. There are certain indices which help us in discriminating one individual from another. We can identify the major races of the world i.e. Caucasoid, the Negroid and the mongoloid. This is despite the fact that the term race is no longer being used. The term ethnic group has been used for denoting races. So we can differentiate for example, the Negroes from that of the Mongoloids, the Mongoloids can be differentiated to that

2 of Caucasoid on the basis of these indices. The most commonly used indices, which can tell about the shape of the face, head and the nose are Cephalic Index, Total Facial Index and Nasal Index. And we do have an index which can be used to screen individuals and correlates to fatness. This index is applicable to both males and females and is known as Body Mass Index (B.M.I.). The study of indices is quite important from the stand point of the students studying variation among mankind which is one of the primary aims of anthropology. Indices are also used for indentifying the missing persons. These indices are also useful in assessing the growth changes among growing children of either sex. They can evaluate the variation in development from one stage of growth to another, from, birth till adult age, where after the value of these indices does not change. Cephalic Index: The Cephalic Index is calculated as a ratio between the maximum head length and maximum head breadth. Maximum head length is obtained as a distance between Glabella and Opisthocranion along the mid-sagittal plane.

3 And Maximum Head breadth is obtained as maximum horizontal distance between the two Euryon points. The following formula is used for calculating the Cephalic Index of a person.

4 Maximum head breadth Cephalic Index = X 100 Maximum head length The different conventional categories of Cephalic Index according to Saller (1949) are: Range Variation Categories Male Female Hyperdolicocephalic x to 70.9 x to 71.9 Dolicocephalic 71.0 to to 76.9 Mesocephalic 76.0 to to 81.9 Brachycephalic 81.0 to to86.4 Hyperbrachycephalic 85.5 to to 91.9 Ultrabrachycephalic On the basis of the value of the cephalic Index shown above we can very easily categorize an individual into either long head or broad head or rounded head etc. As for example, if the value is less than about say something like 70 or so, it will denote a very long head, whereas the value between 77 to something like 80 will denote a medium shaped head. And if the values go beyond 83 or 85, it would denote a broad head.

5 It has often been observed that the Negros have a relatively long head. While the medium values are observed among the Caucasoid and the Mongoloids have relatively round heads. Total Facial Index: The Total Facial Index is calculated as ratio between the total facial height and bizygomatic breadth. Total facial height is obtained as a vertical distance between Nasion and Gnathion. And Bizygomatic breadth is obtained as the maximum breadth of face between two Zygion Points.

6 The following formula is used for calculating the Total Facial Index of a person. Morphological facial height Total Facial Index = X 100 Bizygomatic breadth Different categories of the Total Facial Index according to Martin & Saller (1957) are: Range Variation Categories Male Female Hypereuryproscopic x to 78.9 X to 76.9 Euryproscopic 79.0 to to 80.9 Mesoproscopic 84.0 to to 84.9 Leptoproscopic 88.0 to to 89.9 Hyperleptoproscopic These shapes are inherited from the parents by the children through the genes. Nasal Index: Nasal Index is obtained as a ratio between nasal height and nasal breadth. Nasal Height is obtained as a

7 vertical distance between nasion and Sub-nasion. And Nasal breadth is obtained as a transverse distance between two Alare points. It is taken at right angles to the mid-sagittal plane.

8 The following formula is used for calculating the Nasal Index of a person. Nasal Index = Nasal breadth X 100 Nasal height Different categories of Nasal Index according to Martin & Saller (1957) are: Categories Range variation Hyperleptirhinae x to 54.9 Leptorhinae 55.0 to 69.9 Mesorhinae 70.0 to 84.9 Chamaerhinae (Platerhinae) 85.0 to 99.0 Hyperchamaerhinae The broader nose would reflect that the person belongs to a Negro category because they are the ones who have known to have very broad noses. If the index value is very low then it is called as a Leptorhinae type, which is present among the Caucasoid people.

9 Next we have a medium category where the Nasal Index value is somewhere 70 to 85. This type of noses comes under Mesorhinae category, which is present among the mongoloids. Body Mass Index: The Body Mass Index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight of an individual. For calculating, we take the height of an individual in meters and the weight in kilograms. Height Vertex (Stature) is obtained as a projective distance from standing Surface (floor) to the highest point on the head (Vertex) in the mid-sagittal plane. And body weight is obtained as overall mass of the body with minimum possible clothing.

10 The following formula is used for calculating the Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) of a person. Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) = Weight (Kg.) (Height in Meter) 2 We take weight in kilograms and divide by the height of an individual in meter square. Different categories of Body Mass Index according to World Health Organization (2008) are: B.M.I. Categories Less than 16.0 Nutritional status Surely under weight 16.0 to 18.4 Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 Normal healthy 25.0 to 29.9 Over weight 30.0 to 34.9 Grade I obesity 35.0 to 39.9 Grade II obesity Grade III obesity (Morbid obesity) Now the value that comes after the calculation provides us the result. The value about 18 to 25 falls in healthy category. If the value is less than 18, he falls

11 under undernourished (underweight) category. And if the value goes beyond 25 then the person will fall under overweight (overfed) category. When the value of index exceed beyond 30.0 an individual is classed as obese. So this index is extremely helpful in understanding the obesity and the undernourishment in an individual. Now looking at the children of the present day we find that due to the intake of junk food they are becoming more and more obese. Obesity is taken as a disease also because it causes numerous complications in individual s normal health. Conclusion: The indices that have been described here are quite important because they help us in understanding variation in man. They can help us in identifying varieties of man and categorize them into various groups. The body mass index is the most important index because it can help in detection of nutritional status of an individual as undernourished, normal or obese. Similarly the cephalic index or the head index can help in identifying whether the person possess dolicocephalic

12 head or mesocephalic head or a brachycephalic head. These categories are used by anthropologists in discriminating different ethnic (racial) groups. Similarly the nasal index can also provide an idea whether the nose form is Leptorhinae (long nose); Mesorhinae (medium sized nose) or Chamaerhinae/Platerhinae (broad nose). Nasal index is also useful in differentiating different ethnic (racial) groups. Similarly the Total (Morphological) facial index which is being considered in the present Module is important in identifying the shape of the face in terms of long face, medium face and broad face. So these categorizations are not only necessary from the point of view of ethnic (racial) discrimination but it is important for studying the growth of an individual. It is important for studying the variation of mankind because no two individuals are likely to have identical body dimensions. They show variation in body dimensions which is also reflected through these indices.