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Civil-Comp Proceedings
ISSN 1759-3433
CCP: 89
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING COMPUTATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Edited by: M. Papadrakakis and B.H.V. Topping
Paper 157

An Engineered System of Care: Body Mass Index and Body Mass Distribution Index Changes with Scaled Activity Plan

J. DeGroat1, J. Duane2, J. Moeller3 and W. Conway4

1Department of Electrical Engineering, 2Department of Civil Engineering,
The Ohio State University, Columbus, United States of America
3SINOVO Ltd. & Co. KG, Friedrichsdorf, Germany
4Deep South Diabetes Program, Savannah, Tennessee, United States of America

Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper
J. DeGroat, J. Duane, J. Moeller, W. Conway, "An Engineered System of Care: Body Mass Index and Body Mass Distribution Index Changes with Scaled Activity Plan", in M. Papadrakakis, B.H.V. Topping, (Editors), "Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Engineering Computational Technology", Civil-Comp Press, Stirlingshire, UK, Paper 157, 2008. doi:10.4203/ccp.89.157
Keywords: aerobic exercise, biomedical engineering, body mass index, body mass distribution index, type 2 diabetes, body building.

Summary
The Deep South Diabetes Program (DSDP) found that tracking patient progress is essential to achieving and sustaining targeted results over time. The DSDP developed a system that tracks up to eighteen different variables, displays these variables as a function of time, and computes the distance to targeted values so that patients and healthcare providers both can quantify and visualize progress in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM). Most of the eighteen variables relate in some way to physical activity and resultant changes a patient's health profile. The scale reported here is the basis for quantifying physical activity related to changes in the body mass index (BMI) and body mass distribution index (BDI) which are two of the eighteen tracked variables.

The objective of this work is a physical activity program and point scale for pre-entry level and sustained aerobic activities and strength training; and, a graphic display that assists participants in determining point values of activity options. The physical activities in this program all are within the scope of daily living.

The paper begins by focusing on the point system of the Air Force aerobics program that was utilized in the 1970s and 1980s [1]. Systems, that have been developed and used since that time, have simply served to validate the Air Force system. Another numerical point scale was developed for aerobic and strength training programs by Dr. Simon of The Harvard University Medical School [2]. Each of these two programs assigns numerical values to various forms of physical activities based on their aerobic benefit. The two programs have point scales that are different primarily in magnitude. Graphs are presented that demonstrate the basis of the point systems. Point values for various recreational activities are also presented.

A common scale named the DSDP scale was generated. Points from the Harvard program are converted to DSDP points by a multiplying factor of 0.05; and, the Air Force program points are converted to DSDP points by a multiplying factor of 3.3334. Goals for patients using the DSDP are set by the physician between 1 and 100 points per week.

The paper concludes with two proposed entry level programs to introduce activity into a sedentary lifestyle. This program is intended to provide patients with the tools for the development of a healthier lifestyle. Use of these tools in the setting of shared medical appointments is intended to provide sufficient incentive and peer support for a person to strive to attain the point goals set each week under the program.

References
1
AFP 50-56, GMT - USAF Aerobics Physical Fitness Program (Male), Department of the Air Force, Headquarters, US Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1969.
2
H.B. Simon, "The no sweat exercise plan - lose weight, get healthy and live longer", McGraw-Hill, 2006.

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