Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate the progress of obesity in women from childhood to adulthood and to analyze the characteristics of obese figures through comparing their body proportions to normal-weight people, to provide a basic reference for development of new size categories and improved pattern grading. Body measurement was made on 6,704 women age between 7-39 in Sizekorea 2004 database. The age range was divided into three groups: children(7-12), teenagers(13-18) and adults(19-39). The result of research into the characteristics of body proportions of obese figures and the classification of different figure groups of obese people are as follows: The ratio between width and circumference for each part of the body was investigated according to body weight which was grouped into three different weights of low, normal and obese body weights. And the result demonstrated that in all the ranges of age, the obese groups had the lowest ratio between width and circumference, having a thick body shape. And according to the result of comparing the ratio of the circumference of each body part divided by the waist circumference, the obese group also showed a low ratio, indicating that they have bigger waist circumference than any other body parts. By analyzing the ratio of circumference of body parts divided by waist circumference, three factors were identified as contributing to obesity. Using the factor loadings of the upper, distal and lower body obesity, a cluster analysis was carried out and three different categories of obesity were defined; abdominal obesity, distal obesity and proximal obesity.
