96 Academia Anatomica International ¦ Volume 5 ¦ Issue 1 ¦ January-June 2019 96 Anthropometric Relation of Neck and Waist Circumference in Overweight and Obese Nigerian Subjects: Implication for the Fashion Industry. Loveday. E Oghenemavwe 1 , Clinton S.D Orupabo 2 , Zudonu O. Onisoman 1 1 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Rivers State University. Introduction: In the local tailoring industries in Nigeria, it is generally assumed that the waist circumference is twice the neck circumference. Whether this is true for obese and overweight people is unknown. Objective: This study investigated the anthropometric relationship of the neck circumference to the waist circumference in overweight and obese people and its use in the clothing industry. Subjects and Methods: A sample size of 557 volunteers between 18 to 50 years was recruited for the study from the three campuses of the University of Port Harcourt. 391 were overweight (males=218, females=173) and 166 were obese (males=63, females=103). The neck and waist circumferences of volunteers were taken at the upper neck circumference (UNC), middle neck circumference (MNC), lower neck circumference (LNC) and upper waist circumference (UWC), middle waist circumference (MWC) and lower waist circumference (LWC) respectively. The Body Mass Index of the participants were determined after their weights and heights were measured to enable us categorize them into overweight and obese. The data obtained were analyzed with the aid of Microsoft Excel statistical tools. Results: Overweight males had UNC =37.83cm, UWC =83.69cm, MNC =37.72cm; MWC=85.79cm, LNC =38.43cm, LWC =86.37cm. Overweight females had UNC =33.64cm, UWC=78.02cm, MNC =33.64cm, MWC= 83.09cm, LNC =34.71cm, LWC=83.09cm. Obese males had UNC =40.15cm, UWC=93.87cm, MNC =40.12cm, MWC= 97.95cm, LNC =40.85cm, LWC =97.82cm. Obese females had UNC =35.07cm, UWC =90.86cm, MNC= 35.29cm, MWC =97.29cm, LNC =36.01cm, LWC =100.72cm. Pearson’s correlations(r) of the different regions of the neck and waist for overweight and obese subjects were determined. Conclusion: The correlation between the neck and waist circumference is weak in both overweight and obese. No subject has a waist circumference that is exactly twice the neck circumference. Estimation of waist circumference from the neck circumference will result in clothes that are not fitted. Keywords: Neck, waist, circumference, Overweight, Nigerians. Corresponding Author: Dr. Clinton David Orupabo, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Rivers State University. P.M.B 5080, Nkpolu-Oroworokwu, Port Harcourt. E mail: Clinton.orupabo@ust.edu.ng. Received: March 2019 Accepted: April 2019 Introduction Anthropometry has wide application in forensics, biological anthropology, clinical medicine, design of prosthetics and clothing as it tends to give predictive correlation between various body parts essential for diagnosis and design. We had earlier presented a paper on the anthropometric relationship of the neck circumference to waist circumference in non-obese subjects and its implication for the fashion industry. [1] In similar manner, we find it necessary to evaluate overweight and obese subjects as the population of these group of persons are increasing by the day. Overweight is defined as body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 while obesity is defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. According to World Health Organization, WHO (2018), 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older are overweight and 650 million of these figure are obese as at 2016. [2] The trends of obesity have tripled worldwide since 1975. Overweight and obesity is not peculiar to adults but also common in adolescents and children, and over 340 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2016. Clothing fashion like all other aspects of fashion changes very quickly. It is not associated with one group or an area of the world but is spread out throughout the world wherever people can communicate freely with one another. Getting body measurements is a significant part of sewing in the fashion industry as it would determine if the clothing would fit into the individual. Many body measurements with respect to the fashion industry include; neck, waist and hip measurements as well as other necessary parts of the body. Awareness of the correlations of these body parts is also essential in tailoring. These have resulted in the belief that the neck circumference is twice the waist circumference and ISSN (0): 2455-5274; ISSN (P): 2617-5207