Rapid Measurement of Visceral Fat

The UK has higher levels of obesity/overweight people than anywhere in Western Europe; the
cost to the NHS is £5.1b, and to the economy £27b each year. Excessive amounts of visceral
fat (abdominal fat around important internal organs) can lead to increased risks for many
conditions including; stroke, depression, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and
asthma. Characterising the composition of body fat, important for diagnosing and treating
obesity and excess weight, is NOT provided by measuring BMI (Body Mass Index). Currently
quantifying visceral fat requires expensive equipment such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI), and surrogates for visceral fat (e.g. waist circumference) are subjective and unreliable.
The BMI remains as the preferred measure only through convenience and low cost.
Our technology is an innovative, easy to use, mHealth service to determine the percentage and
distribution of visceral fat using a tablet or smart phone. This project proposes to provide
clinical validation for the underpinning methodology, as well as arguments to persuade
potential customers of the benefits (social and economic) of utilising the service.