The Body Volume Index (BVI) 2007 - 2023

The development of the Body Volume Index, or BVI, commenced in 2007 as a new alternative obesity measurement to the Body Mass Index (BMI), which was invented in 1835. There were initially five international collaborators around the world involved, and this has included another twelve others since.

Over the past 15 years, there has been extensive development, validation and alteration of the system, so that now BVI data can be delivered just from two images from a smartphone, a tablet or even just two photographs taken with a camera. Both children and adults can be measured and collecting the data takes just a few seconds.

The concept of BVI was always very simple – divide the body into sections to work out where the weight is based on the volume of those part weights allowing proper differentiation between those of the same body mass index rating. The delivery of that has now been simplified and can just be done from two images meaning now that BVI is just as simple to do as BMI.

Select Research used their expertise in managing ‘benchmark’ sizing projects for the retail clothing industry to do the same in healthcare, and BVI invented in 2007, is now a valid and real alternative to the BMI for the measurement of obesity and health risk.