The first to pay attention to the proportions of the human body were the ancient Indians and Egyptians. It was they who began their active study, and the hand was used as the main unit of length . Later, Greek and Italian artists tried to find out how the body proportions of women, men and children of different ages differ.
Their observations and calculations were significantly replenished at the end of the twentieth century thanks to measurements taken over the most typical representatives. Such studies have helped to deduce the general laws of the proportionality of the body and its changes associated with age, height, one or another type of activity.
To date, those observations and measurements that are aimed at deriving the average numbers (norms) necessary for constructing diagrams of the shape and size of individual deviations have gained special importance. In addition to this, data are currently being actively collected on what indicators differ in the proportions of the bodies of representatives of non-European races from the proportions of the European, white race. For this purpose, a specific measurement scheme was developed for both the whole body and individual limbs, face and head. To obtain anthropometric indicators, as a rule, a ruler with divisions or a double meter is used.
With these tools, you can easily measure the size of growth, as well as the height of the chin, shoulder and other parts. In order to maximally accurately determine the proportions of the human body, especially with regard to the length of the limbs, the width of the pelvis and shoulders, a special compass - Topinara is necessarily used. The circumference of the head and chest is measured using a regular metric tape, and the dimensions of the individual parts of the face are measured using thick-legged and sliding compasses.
As for what the ideal proportions of the body are, here the experts are united in their opinion - the most important thing is that the proportions of a person should be in harmony with his height, constitution and age.
You can calculate your own parameters in several common ways. Firstly, using the formula, which is based on the addition of the circumference of the shoulder, circumference of the lower leg and neck, and the subsequent division of the result by the circumference of the thigh. A figure in the range from 0.50% to 0.65% is considered an indicator of ideal body proportions. Secondly, you can use Brock's well-known formula - "growth in centimeters - 100" (if growth is up to 165 centimeters) and "growth in centimeters - 105" (if growth is more than 165 centimeters). However, in this case, it is very important to take into account the types of body proportions, which can be thin-boned, normal-boned and wide-boned. The parameters of a person should correspond to the first type, with a wrist less than 16 centimeters (with a girth), the second type - from 16 to 20 centimeters, and the third - more than 20 centimeters.
It should be emphasized that such calculations, as a rule, are not aimed at determining whether a person needs to lose weight, whether his body is beautifully built or not. It is important to understand that proportions are laid genetically, the size of certain limbs, the shape of the head, the width of the face and much more - all these are signs that are determined by heredity. Trying to radically change them is not worth it, you can only slightly adjust it.