Diathetic Kretschmer Proportion

Diathetic Kretschmer proportion

Kretschmer's Dietetic Proportion (DP) is the ratio between two body parameters that are used to determine a person's body type. This proportion was developed by German psychiatrist and psychologist Ernst Kretschmer in the 1920s.

Kretschmer's DP is based on the relationship between body length and chest circumference. He suggested that in people with short and wide chests (wide pectoral index) the asthenic body type will predominate, and in people with long and narrow chests (narrow pectoral index) the athletic type will prevail.

However, research has shown that Kretschmer's DP is not universal and can only be applied to certain populations. For example, people living in tropical countries may have a wider chest index than those living in temperate climates.

Despite this, Kretschmer's DP remains an important tool for identifying body types and their association with various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.