20 years of experience speaks for itself in many ways. However, looking at Body Aspect's development in relation to the technology it is founded upon really helps in understanding how the company has gained the expertise and experience that it possesses today.
The team came together as researchers involved in devising new methods for analysing body size and shape to help retailers in the clothing industry to create better fitting clothes for everyone.
In 2003, Body Aspect was formed. The team were approached by NHS commissioners with a plea to help devise objective criteria for deciding the eligibility of patients seeking breast reduction. The team invented new criteria, based on breast to torso measurements, which have been adopted across the East Midlands and beyond.
Body Aspect provided their expertise and equipment to be used in fashion guru Gok Wan's popular Channel 4 series How to Look Good Naked. This was the first time 3D image capture had been utilised in the context of helping people's self-perceptions of body image. The BBC also used the technology within a documentary that explored the part played by body image within eating disorders. A study was later conducted as part of a project co-funded by Innovate UK. Over 200 participants at health and fitness centres in Nottingham and Wakefield used Body Aspect's technology to compare self-perceptions with the reality of their 3D size and shape. The technology is now being evaluated for use in eating disorders services.
The technology was also used by Rosemary Conley on ITV's Slim To Win, demonstrating how it could be used to motivate people to achieve a healthy size and shape. Innovate UK co-funded a second project which enabled Body Aspect to refine the technology and collect more data on people with a high Body Mass Index. The technology is now being evaluated for use in weight management services.
Looking to the future, there are many exciting developments underway in the industry. Image capture technology is becoming increasingly affordable and Body Aspect remains at the forefront of current developments with the ultimate mission being to develop worthwhile applications that utilise 3D image capture and are accessible to everyone.