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If the patient is unable to stand for their height measurement because they’re bed ridden or have a serious curvature of the spine, then their height is estimated based on their knee height. This estimation is measured while the patient is seated or lying down because the knee and heel joints must be placed at 90 degrees from the thigh. To calculate the patient’s body height, measure the distance from the sole of the foot to the top of the knee and use the following formula:

For men:
Height (cm) = [1.94 × knee height (cm)] – [0.14 × age (years)] + 78.31
For women:
Height (cm) = [1.85 × knee height (cm)] – [0.21 × age (years)] + 82.21

Overweight and obesity have become significant subjects in today’s healthcare because the more fat the body accumulates the higher chance of suffering from heart disease, diabetes mellitus, stroke and high blood pressure.

Distinguishing between apple-shaped and pear-shaped bodies is vital because this demonstrates where most of the fat is deposited within the body. Individuals who tend to store fat around the waist (apple-shaped bodies) are at a greater health risk than those who accumulate fat around the hips, thighs, and butt (pear-shaped bodies). Thus, these are substantial reasons for the growing need of measuring tapes.