As regards obesity screening tests, it's a widly known fact that there are many problems in the existing notation of various body indices.
Moreover, in regards to the determination of skin-fold thickness, measurments must be taken at two or three places, and this, plus the fact that a certain amount of expertise is necessary, represent a shortcoming.
Using abdominal girth, which can be relatively easily measured, together with the chest girth measurment, the author examined a method for assessing obesity.
Various body indices were computed from height, weight, chest measurement, abdominal girth, etc. and the correlation between their value and skin fold thickness and average skin fold thickness was determined.
As a result of this, abdominal girth measurement and evaluation may be used in obesity screen tests in the following way.
1. Method for measuring abdominal girth.
[1] Have the patient assume normal posture.
[2] Girth is measured (in centimeters) around the area mid way above the navel while the patient resting expiratory state with arms hanging limp and shoulders relaxed.
2. Method for computing obesity index.
obesity index=height (in cm) ×10/abdominal girth (in cm)
The subject of the above research is extreamly limited in respect to age range. Therefore, the authors would like to examine further to see if this method is applicable to all age renges.

Background: Massive rotator cuff tears (MRCTs) with subscapularis (SSC) tears cause severe shoulder dysfunction. In the present study, the influence of SSC tears on three-dimensional (3D) shoulder kinematics during scapular plane abduction in patients with MRCTs was examined. Methods: This study included 15 patients who were divided into two groups: supraspinatus (SSP) and infraspinatus (ISP) tears with SSC tear (torn SSC group: 10 shoulders) or without SSC tear (intact SSC group: 5 shoulders). Single-plane fluoroscopic images during scapular plane elevation and computed tomography (CT)-derived 3D bone models were matched to the fluoroscopic images using two-dimensional (2D)/3D registration techniques. Changes in 3D kinematic results were compared. Results: The humeral head center at the beginning of arm elevation was significantly higher in the torn SSC group than in the intact SSC group (1.8±3.4 mm vs. −1.1±1.6 mm, p<0.05). In the torn SSC group, the center of the humeral head migrated superiorly, then significantly downward at 60° arm elevation (p<0.05). In the intact SSC group, significant difference was not observed in the superior-inferior translation of the humeral head between the elevation angles. Conclusions In cases of MRCTs with a torn SSC, the center of the humeral head showed a superior translation at the initial phase of scapular plane abduction followed by inferior translation. These findings indicate the SSC muscle plays an important role in determining the dynamic stability of the glenohumeral joint in a superior-inferior direction in patients with MRCTs.