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Obesity
Activity 3A: Bottle Bodies: Measuring Body Fat
 Topic: Obesity

Part of:
Unit: Corpulosity: A Study of Obesity

Entire Activity Download (22 pages - 6 MB)

Individual Downloads

Keywords

human body composition, height, weight, circumference, mass, volume, density, body mass index, BMI, nomogram, somatotype

Search Curricular Keywords

Key Concepts

fat (adipose) distribution, waist circumference, endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph, pear and apple body types, body mass index, density, obesity, measurement

Process Skills Utilized

gathering data, using equipment to collect data, making models, identifying limitations of models, observing, inferring

Intended Grade Level - 6-8

Objectives

Working with bottles, clay, and wax to represent human body composition, students will be able to:

  • measure height, weight, circumference
  • measure mass and volume; calculate density
  • use a BMI chart and nomogram
  • design a “Pear” or “Apple” shape body and determine hip/waist ratio
  • describe and determine body shape types and somatotypes

Activity Description

Using various sizes and shapes of plastic bottles to represent the trunk of the human body and a predetermined amount of sand or water to pour into the bottle, students will learn how to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) of their Bottle Bodies. Students will measure the mass and volume of the Bottle Bodies and calculate density. They will determine the body shape of the Bottle Bodies by calculating waist to hip ratio. In order to simulate fat (adipose) tissue and/or muscle mass, warm wax or clay will be placed on the Bottle Bodies. Body fat can accumulate in the abdominal region, thighs, gluteals, and upper body. Students will re-weigh, re-measure and re-classify the Bottle Bodies according to changes caused by “fat” and “muscle” accumulation as a result of lifestyle choices.

Activity Materials (per group)

  • 1 plastic soda or water bottle with cap (per student)
  • 1 c clay to simulate muscle
  • 1 c wax to simulate fat
  • 1 measuring tape (metric)
  • 1 permanent marker
  • 1 metric ruler
  • 1/2 c measuring cup
  • large container for water
  • 1 graduated cylinder
  • 1 triple beam balance
  • Sand (optional)
  • 1 copy BMI Nomogram for Age, male and female (Appendices)
  • 1 copy Student Information Page
  • 1 copy Student Data Page (per student)

Activity Management Suggestions

Pair students, and ask each one to bring an empty soda/water bottle with its cap. This will give the students 2 shapes to work with and to compare. Have sets of the materials on hand in case some students do not bring their bottles. Materials can be placed in a plastic container for organizational purposes.

Teachers, please be aware that this activity sets the stage for a discussion of hydrodensitometry (an underwater weighing technique used to determine amount of body fat) by allowing students to observe that various body tissues have very different densities. They will observe that adding wax to simulate fat, a low density tissue, will decrease the overall body density. Conversely, adding more dense clay to simulate muscle will increase the overall body density. This concept is important to understanding the process of hydrodensitometry. This activity DOES NOT simulate the procedure of hydrodensitometry, however.

Extension

After the “body composition” of the Bottle Bodies is developed by adding clay for muscle and wax for fat, design a life jacket/vest to keep Bottle Body from floating “head down, feet up” in the water, causing the Bottle Body to drown. Ask students to explain what determines whether the head remains above or below water.

References Used

Centers for Disease Control National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey website
http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/

National Library of Medicine Pub Med website
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

National Heart Lung and Blood Website
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

Dasgupta, S. & Hazra, S.C. (1999). The utility of waist circumference in assessment of obesity. Indian Journal of Public Health; 43(4), 132-135.

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