Body fat
Several alternative explanatory variables are often available for use in a simple linear model. In this example, the explanatory variable that has highest correlation with Body fat is Abdomen and would be best to use for predicting Body fat.
Argue that we may be able to get more accurate predictions of Body fat if we can also take account of other measurements from the individuals in our prediction.
Percentage body fat of individuals is an important measure of their health, but is a difficult quantity to measure. Accurate measurement of a person's body fat involves weighing the individual submersed in water, so is rarely done in fitness checks.
It is however possible to estimate percentage body fat from other body measurements that are easier to obtain. In order to determine how effectively body fat could be estimated from simple body measurements, scientists accurately determined body fat from a group of 252 men. Several other easily obtained measurements were also recorded from each subject.
Response |
---|
Body fat (percent) |
Explanatory variables |
Weight (lbs) |
Age (yrs) |
Height (inches) |
Neck circumference (cm) |
Chest circumference (cm) |
Abdomen circumference (cm) |
Hip circumference (cm) |
Thigh circumference (cm) |
Knee circumference (cm) |
Ankle circumference (cm) |
Extended biceps circumference (cm) |
Forearm circumference (cm)< |
Wrist circumference (cm) |